Arabs close ranks on colonies

Sirte: Arab leaders opened their summit Saturday determined to send a clear warning that the Middle East peace process is doomed unless Israel freezes Jewish colonies in annexed occupied East Jerusalem.

In the face of the apparent deadlock, however, UN chief Ban Ki-moon, invited to address the summit, appealed for Arab leaders to support US-led efforts to initiate "proximity" talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

"I urge you to support efforts to start proximity talks and direct negotiations. Our common goal should be to resolve all final-status issues within 24 months," Ban said.

He reiterated that Israel's colony activity in occupied East Jerusalem was "illegal" and stressed occupied "Jerusalem's significance to all must be respected, and it should emerge from negotiations as the capital of two states."

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, blasted Israel's policy of considering the whole of occupied Jerusalem as its united capital as "madness" in his speech at the summit in the Libyan coastal city of Sirte.

"This is madness and it does not commit us in any way," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

"[Occupied] Jerusalem is the apple of the eye of each and every Muslim... and we cannot at all accept any Israeli violation.." the Turkish premier said.

Angered

Qatari Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani addressed the opening session before handing over the presidency to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The two-day gathering follows the worst violence in Gaza in 14 months, set against the background of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of demands to stop colony building in occupied east Jerusalem.

It is the first annual summit to be hosted by the maverick Gaddafi who considers Israel an implacable "enemy" of the Arabs.

Arab League chief Amr Mousa has set the tone for the Sirte summit by insisting that Israel scrap the new colony plans before indirect talks with the Palestinians can start. Indirect Palestinian-Israeli peace talks depend on freezing colonies and especially on cancelling plans by Israel to build 1,600 colonies in occupied east Jerusalem, he said.

He also asked leaders to examine at the summit "the chances of failure of the peace process" due to Israeli policies.

Arab leaders from both the pro-Western and radical camps have also been angered by the opening of a restored 17th-century synagogue near occupied east Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque compound — home to Islam's third holiest site.

They see such acts as a clear intention by Israel to "Judaise" the Holy City and undermine chances for a peace agreement with the Palestinians who consider occupied east Jerusalem the capital of their future state.

Jordan's King Abdullah II warned ahead of the summit that Israel was "playing with fire," while Syrian President Bashar Al Assad also attending the summit said his country stood ready if "war is imposed" by Israel.

Living conditions

Arab leaders are expected to ratify an agreement drafted by their foreign ministers to raise $500 million (Dh1,836 million) in aid to improve living conditions for Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem as part of a "rescue" plan for the city.