Cairo: Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League (AL), said that a stage of comprehensive and normal Arab-Israeli peace relations can only be achieved when the Palestinian people gain their freedom and independence.
In a statement, the Cairo-based pan-Arab body quoted Aboul-Gheit as saying that that this can be reached through the "land for peace" principle and the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, reports Xinhua news agency.
Aboul-Gheit's remarks came days after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached a US-brokered peace agreement with Israel on August 13 that includes "full normalization of relations".
According to the agreement, Israel will suspend the annexation of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, while it focuses on expanding ties with other Arab countries with other nations in the Muslim world.
In Saturday's statement, the AL chief said that the Palestinian cause is a matter of consensus among all member states and ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is a central goal of all Arab countries "without exception".
"A true, lasting, just and comprehensive peace with all its elements remains a strategic option for Arab countries," Aboul-Gheit added.
He also voiced a "complete and unanimous Arab rejection" of Israel's plan to annex parts of the Palestinian occupied territories in the West Bank.
Arab League statement came a day after Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) said that the price for normalised relations with Israel was a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has set a price for concluding peace between Israel and the Arabs – it is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as capital, as provided for by the initiative of the late King Abdullah," Prince Turki Al Faisal, former Saudi ambassador to the UK and US as well as the ex-head of intelligence, wrote in Asharq Al Awsat.
The UAE-Israel deal was opposed and termed as "betrayal" by a section in the Muslim world, especially the supporters of Turkey and Qatar.
Interestingly Turkey is the first Muslim country which entered into a pact with Israel back in 1949. Qatar too has a bilateral trade with Israel though without having an open diplomatic relationship. Like Qatar, Oman too has a trade relationship with Israel.
Besides these countries, Jordan and Egypt too have diplomatic relationship with Israel.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey personifying Chulbul Pandey
NTA unmoved, says NEET, JEE to be held as scheduled
Also Read
Modi govt unlikely to postpone NEET, JEE Main
Holding NEET, JEE Main may lead to suicides: PM Modi told
'BJP can lose 1.2 million votes in 2024 elections'
'Biased': Al Azhar rejects fatwa banning Emiratis from praying at Al-Aqsa
Suha Arafat apologizes to UAE over Palestinians' protest
As Mohammed Bin Salman looks the other way, Pakistan explores alternatives
Pakistan PM cosies up to Turkey, Army chief to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia-Pakistan ties strain again, this time over Kashmir
Close to 70K new cases, India reports record Covid-19 surge Thursday
Maharashtra Covid update: Highest single-day spike of 422 deaths
Gujarat Covid update: Death toll 2,822, total cases 80,942
Maharashtra welcomes CBI probe into SSR death, but mulls parallel probe
SC for CBI probe into Sushant Singh death case; Read reactions
Shiv Sena smells conspiracy in Sushant death case SC ruling
Jammu Kashmir parties vow to jointly fight for restoration of Special Status
Muharram 2020 Moon spotted; India, Pakistan, Bangladesh ring in Islamic New Year 1442H
Muharram 2020 Moon: Saudi Arabia Calendar switches to Islamic New Year 1442H
