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Arab Peace Initiative runs out in 2009, Mousa says

The Arab Peace Initiative cannot continue beyond the end of 2009 if there is no active response from Israel, said Amr Mousa, Secretary General of the Arab League, talking to Gulf News during the World Economic Forum on the Middle East.

  • By Francis Matthew, Editor at Large
  • Published: 22:53 May 15, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Palestinian state, which has to come in the near future andnot at some remote time in the future, says Amr Mousa Secretary-general of the Arab League
  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Dead Sea, Jordan: The Arab Peace Initiative cannot continue beyond the end of 2009 if there is no active response from Israel, said Amr Mousa, Secretary General of the Arab League, talking to Gulf News during the World Economic Forum on the Middle East.

He spelt out that there are three essentials for continuing peace talks between the Arab countries and Israel: A clear time frame, a freeze on colonies and effective monitoring of what is happening on the ground.

"Then we have to spell out what is the end game so there is no confusion," he said. "We need a viable Palestinian state, which has to come in the near future and not at some remote time in the future. Colonies have to stop. The map must stay the same so that we can negotiate. And the status of the refugees and the status of [occupied] Jerusalem have to be included from the start of talks."

Mousa was speaking after a closed door session on Middle East peace, and outlined his tough conditions for continuing the Arab Peace Initiative in the context of the new Israeli government starting to make its position clear, as well as talking in advance of new US President Obama developing policy on the Middle East The Arab Peace Initiative, API, is based on the principle of Israel returning al the occupied land in return for complete normalisation of relations, including security.

The API was endorsed by the Arab summit in 2002, but as Mousa pointed out, there has been no Israeli reply of any kind to this day.

"We have come to a crucial moment," said Mousa.

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