Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit has said that “a solution to the Palestinian issue is the only key to establishing peace and lasting cooperation in the Middle East.”
Speaking at a session on the future of the Middle East at the Ninth Baku International Forum this week, Aboul Gheit said that such a solution requires Israel to commit to honoring “relevant international resolutions, to return to the June 4, 1967, lines, and to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.”
He stressed that the framework of any regional cooperation will remain “fragile and flammable” if it does not fully respect the rights of the Palestinian people.
“I am deeply concerned about the decline in interest in the Palestinian issue in the list of priorities of the world’s countries, in light of the great pressures and the emergence of new problems,” he added.
Speaking to an audience that included former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Aboul Gheit said, “There can be no prosperous future for the Middle East while neglecting or ignoring the rights of the Palestinians.”
He added: “It is impossible to accept the scenario of one Israeli state with two nations —the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. Any plans that ignore the Palestinian people or imagine their elimination are impossible. My advice to the Israelis is to settle the issue now.”
