9/13/2011Arab peace cmte continues to gather support for state bid
CAIRO, The Ministerial meeting for the Arab League's Mideast peace committee decided Tuesday to continue efforts to rally international support for the Palestinians bid to a UN recognition for an independent state within the 1967 and East Jerusalem as its capital.
Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil Al-Arabi said in a joint press conference with member of the executive committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Dr. Saeb Erekat that the meeting, chaired by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, concluded with a stern determination to back up the Palestinian UN bid for a state.
The Arab League would continue to gather support from the international community, said Al-Arabi, adding the EU calls for a Palestinian state born out of negotiations was welcomed by Palestinians but the irresponsible Israeli choice of settlements over peace brought that option to a halt.
The Palestinian bid, stressed Al-Arabi, was not against negotiations, on the contrary, it reinforces the option of a Palestinian and Israeli states via international laws.
He affirmed that the league would also contact the US on the matter, adding that if Washington was for the two states solution, "it should not wave veto" in face of the Palestinian bid.
The meeting's final communique was forwarded to the 136th meeting for the Arab Foreign Minister meeting today.
link
