Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Ahmed Aboul
Gheit, received Ambassador Muhannad Al-Aklouk, the representative of the
State of Palestine to the League, on 28 February at the headquarters of
the General Secretariat. Ambassador Al-Aklouk brought a written message
from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).
Gamal Roshdy, the spokesman for the Secretary-General, stated that
the letter included a categorical Palestinian rejection of the
principles announced by the Israeli Prime Minister for the so-called
"day after" of the war, and a warning of the danger of what was stated
in these principles, especially in terms of denying the existence of the
Palestinian people and insisting on imposing Israeli sovereignty on the
entire land extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.
This confirms the Israeli government’s intentions to recolonise the Gaza
Strip and perpetuate the occupation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
through plans to build thousands of settlement units.
Roshdy added that the letter warned that the goal of the extremist
Israeli government is not only to undermine the chances of peace based
on the two-state solution but also to intensify episodes of ethnic
cleansing and displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, the West
Bank, and East Jerusalem.
The spokesman explained that President Abu Mazen’s message conveyed
an affirmation that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of
Palestine. The Palestinian Authority is ready to assume the
responsibilities of governance in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and
East Jerusalem, and it is prepared to work towards establishing security
and peace, as well as stability in the region within the framework of a
comprehensive peace plan.
The letter appealed to the Secretary-General to continue working
for a ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces
from the Gaza Strip, the provision of humanitarian aid, the return of
displaced individuals to their homes in the north, prevention of their
displacement, and a halt to the Israeli government’s plans and practices
aiming to maintain Israel’s control and establish its presence in the
Gaza Strip.
Roshdy said that the message also included an appeal to the League
of Arab States to support Palestine in obtaining full membership in the
United Nations through a decision of the UN Security Council. It urged
countries that have not yet recognised Palestine to do so and called for
an international conference to approve a comprehensive peace plan with
international guarantees and a timetable for ending the Israeli
occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, with its capital in
Jerusalem, along the 1967 lines.
The official spokesman quoted Secretary-General Mr. Aboul Gheit as
confirming during the meeting that he would continue to work to achieve
all the goals mentioned in the Palestinian President’s message, most
notably an immediate ceasefire, working to bring aid in urgently and
sustainably, and standing with full force against the displacement plan.
Mr. Aboul Gheit also stressed that stopping the brutal war remains a
fundamental priority for the League of Arab States and its countries.
He added that the displacement plan is rejected by the Palestinians,
Arabs, and the world. Addressing the humanitarian catastrophe caused by
the Israeli aggression cannot be achieved in isolation from a settlement
carrying a political horizon for the emergence of a Palestinian state
in the West Bank and Gaza. He emphasised that the Palestinians are
capable of governing themselves, and the continuation of the occupation
is no longer possible. The two-state solution remains the only formula
capable of achieving security, peace, and stability between Palestinians
and Israelis in the region and the world.
