The 19th Arab Summit begins in Riyadh today. The focus of the two-day summit will be the Arab peace initiative proposed by King Abdullah when he was crown prince and later endorsed by the Arab summit held in Beirut in 2002. In the following article Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim El-Moneif reviews Saudi Arabia's efforts for a just and comprehensive Middle East settlement.

The Saudi Vision for Peace in the Middle East
Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim El-Moneif, Arab News

Looking back at the peace-building initiatives for the Middle East, we can see that more is being heard of peace initiatives coming from outside than from inside the region itself. A major objective of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy is settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Among the Saudi efforts to bring peace to the conflict, there were two peace initiatives in 1982 and 2002. The initiatives offered solutions to the conflict based on United Nations resolutions. The strength of the two peace initiatives is rooted in recognizing Israel's right to exist by all Arab countries and offering normal relations with Israel as it accepts United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 asking for an end to occupation and withdrawal to 1967 borders.

While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's history stretches back more than 250 years, the period prior to King Abdulaziz's rule saw limited involvement in foreign affairs. During King Abdulaziz's reign, one of his key foreign policy objectives was the promotion and protection of Arab and Muslims interests. He was one of the first Arab leaders to recognize the importance of sovereignty for Palestine. Saudi Arabia paid special attention to the Palestinian question, considering it the main issue for the Arab and Muslims worlds, and a major element of the Kingdom's foreign policy.

Throughout the period immediately before, during and after World War II, King Abdulaziz was in constant contact with world leaders. In February 1945, he met separately with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The chief topic of discussion was the future of the Middle East in the postwar era. During their meeting, President Roosevelt tried to persuade King Abdulaziz to acquiesce to a plan for unrestricted Jewish emigration to Palestine, which the Saudi ruler strongly opposed. During the rule of King Saud, the Kingdom continued to build on its relations with Arab and Muslim countries, as well as with the United States and European nations. A close observer of the principle of the Saudi state can see that King Abdulaziz's policies neither initiated a dispute nor harbored hostility towards any person. The Kingdom has kept a steady and balanced foreign policy and has therefore maintained solidarity with its Arab and Muslim states, and has respected its relationships with friendly states. This was continued by the sons who followed him: King Saud, King Faisal, King Khaled, King Fahd and the present king, King Abdullah. 

The King Abdullah's Peace Initiative of 2002

By early 2001, the situation in the Middle East had deteriorated significantly. Both within the Middle East and the world as whole, people were waiting for a breakthrough in the diplomatic efforts of the UN and the actors involved in the search for the viable means for resolving this conflict. By the end of February 2002, a new peace plan had begun to surface, this time inspired by Crown Prince Abdullah. The underlying concept for this plan was a reformulation of the "land for peace" formula. It must be recalled that this peace plan formula had been around since 1967, though this version of it seemed to hold out the prospect of the recognition of Israel by the Arab community, in addition to the existing Egypt and Jordanian recognition. Thus, the plan appeared to have injected some hope into what was a fast-deteriorating situation in which there seemed no end to the cycle of violence. Also, as will soon be explained, this initiative has become a seedbed - a source of ideas and inspirations - for later national and supranational peace plans for the same cause.

In order to move the peace process forward after the failure of numerous peace plans and countless United Nations resolutions, and after years of negotiations by endless experts, in January 2002 King Abdullah led an Arab plan for peace that included recognition of Israel. The collapse of the peace process and the eruption of the Al-Aqsa intifada from late September 2000 led to a more active Saudi role in wider Arab diplomatic initiatives.

King Abdullah undertook a number of political initiatives designed to strengthen Saudi Arabia as the leading player in the Arab and Islamic worlds. This included authorship of a Middle East peace plan in 2002. The plan aimed to maintain peace and stability and guarantees a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Saudi initiative stated that the acceptance by Israel of this initiative means that Arabs could establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace. The central idea of the proposal was for the Arab states collectively to normalize relations with Israel within its pre-June 1967 borders in return for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital. King Abdullah stated that the plan would be officially launched at the Arab League head of states summit meeting to be held in Beirut at the end of March 2002.

King Abdullah's initiative consists of the following provisions:

1. Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, to the June 4, 1967 lines. 

2. The acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories occupied since June 4, 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Al-Qods (Jerusalem) as its capital.

3. Solving the Refugees issue in accordance with the international resolutions issued in this respect. 

At the 14th Arab summit on March 27-28, 2002 in Beirut, King Abdullah laid out a peace initiative, based on Resolution 242's principle of "land for peace," and on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 338 which calls for a cease-fire followed by immediate implementation of Security Council Resolution 242 and negotiations between the parties "aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East." King Abdullah proposed that the Arabs put forward "a clear and unambiguous initiative" to the UN Security Council calling for full withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, recognition of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of refugees in exchange for normal relations and security for Israel. 

King Abdullah address to League of Arab States Summit in Beirut

King Abdullah addressed the Summit of the League of Arab States on March 27, and presented a historic initiative for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on normalization of relations between the Arab states and Israel in return for full withdrawal of Israel from occupied Arab territories. Speaking of the suffering of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli assaults, King Abdullah said: 

"In spite of all that has happened, and what still may happen, the primary issue in the heart and mind of every person in our Arab and Islamic nation is the restoration of legitimate rights in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. These rights, which are bound to the cherished occupied lands, cannot be erased from memory, nor will the passage of time diminish their importance. Those who follow the intifadah (uprising) of our brothers in Palestine, which has the support of all Arabs and Muslims, realize that steadfastness will not wither, that bravery will not retreat, and that justice will prevail."

King Abdullah emphasized that it is therefore incumbent on the Israeli government to realize and understand this and deal with it by embarking on a new path, and that is the path of peace.. ..When the Arabs opted for peace as a strategic choice, they did not do so out of crippling desperation or debilitating weakness, and Israel is mistaken if it believes that it can impose an unjust peace by force. We embarked upon the peace process with open eyes and clear minds, and we have not accepted then, nor will we accept now, that this process is transformed into a nonbinding obligation imposed by one party on the other.. ..Peace is a free and voluntary choice made by two equal parties, and it cannot survive if it is based on oppression and humiliation. The peace process is based on a clear principle: Land for peace. This principle is accepted by the international community as a whole and is embodied in United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, and was adopted by the Madrid Conference in 1991. It was confirmed by the resolutions of the European Community and other regional organizations and re-emphasized once more this month by Security Council Resolution 1397.

It is clear in our minds, King Abdullah emphasized, and in the minds of our brethren in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, that the only acceptable objective of the peace process is full Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Arab territories, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of refugees. Without moving toward this objective, the peace process is an exercise in futility and a play on words and a squandering of time, which perpetuates the cycle of violence.

He stressed, however, that the return to the negotiating table is a meaningless endeavor, if the negotiations do not produce tangible and positive results, as has been the case for the past ten years. Allow me at this point to directly address the Israeli people, to say to them that the use of violence for more than fifty years has only resulted in more violence and destruction, and that the Israeli people are as far as they have ever been from security and peace, notwithstanding their military superiority and despite efforts to subdue and oppress. Peace emanates from the heart and mind, and not from the barrel of a cannon or the exploding warhead of a missile. The time has come for Israel to put its trust in peace after it has gambled on war for decades without success. Israel, and the world, must understand that peace and the retention of the occupied Arab territories are incompatible and impossible to reconcile or achieve.. ..I would further say to the Israeli people that if their government abandons the policy of force and oppression and embraces true peace, we will not hesitate to accept the right of the Israeli people to live in security with the people of the region.. ..We believe in taking up arms in self-defense and to deter aggression. But we also believe in peace when it is based on justice and equity, and when it brings an end to conflict. Only within the context of true peace can normal relations flourish between the people of the region and allow the region to pursue development rather than war and destruction.

King Abdullah concluded his statement by saying:

"In light of the above.. ..I propose that the Arab Summit put forward a clear and unanimous initiative addressed to the United Nations Security Council based on two basic issues, normal relations and security for Israel in exchange for full withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, recognition of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Shareef (East Jerusalem) as its capital, and the return of refugees. At the same time, I appeal to all friendly countries throughout the world to support this noble humanitarian proposal that seeks to remove the danger of destructive wars and the establishment of peace for all the inhabitants of the region, without exception (Saudi Arabia 2002).

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 15, 2005, Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, urged the international community to work for realizing the Palestinians' dream of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. He said, "The Arab countries affirmed their commitment to a just peace by endorsing the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. We hope that concerted international efforts will lead to the realization of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people in ending the occupation and establishing their independent state with Al-Quds Al-Shareef (Jerusalem) as its capital."

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, in a lecture on "Saudi Arabia and the International Oil Market" at the Baker Institute in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2005, emphasized the need for finding a just and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict to reinforce peace and stability in the Middle East and ensure stable oil supply and prices. He reaffirmed Arab world's desire to have peaceful coexistence with Israel, adding that the Arab peace plan, which was initiated by King Abdullah and endorsed by the Beirut summit, offers normal relations with the Jewish state in lieu of its total withdrawal from occupied Arab territories.

Beirut Declaration: Arab Peace Plan

Responding to King Abdullah's keynote speech in which he reiterated the principles of his peace plan, the Beirut meeting of Arab heads of state endorsed the initiative, offering Israel peace and normal ties in return for its withdrawal from occupied Arab lands, the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a "just solution" to the refugee issue, based on the principles of repatriation or compensation in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194. In return, the Arab world would consider the Arab-Israeli conflict at an end and enter into a peace agreement with Israel. 

Arab leaders attending the 14th Summit of the League of Arab States endorsed the peace initiative presented by King Abdullah and declared that it is now an Arab initiative to be known as the "Beirut Declaration." Thus, King Abdullah's initiative became a joint Arab plan (Arab Peace Plan) and in the end of the Arab League summit conference emphasized that the Arab strategic objective as Arab-Israeli peace. It offered Israel a genuine end of the conflict in return for an end of the Israeli occupation. Arab leaders participating in the Summit of the League of Arab States issued the following statement at the conclusion of their deliberations: 

• Reaffirming the resolution taken in June 1996 at the Cairo Extraordinary Arab Summit, that a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East is the strategic option of the Arab countries, to be achieved in accordance with international legality, and which would require a comparable commitment on the part of the Israeli government;

• Having listened to the statement made by His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in which his highness presented his initiative, calling for full Israeli withdrawal from all the Arab territories occupied since June 1967, in implementation of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, reaffirmed by the Madrid Conference of 1991 and the land-for-peace principles; and for Israeli's acceptance of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in return for the establishment of normal relations in the context of a comprehensive peace with Israeli;

• Emanating from the conviction of the Arab countries that a military solution to the conflict will not achieve peace or provide security for the parties, the council:
  
  1. Request Israel to reconsider its policies and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well.
  
  2. Further calls upon Israel to affirm:
  
  a. Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights to the lines of June 4, 1967, as well as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in the south of Lebanon.
  
  b. Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194.
  
  c. The acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state in the Palestinian territories occupied since the 4th of June 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
  
  3. Consequently, the Arab countries affirm the following:
  
  a. Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and proved security for all the states of the region.
  
  b. Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace.
  
  4. Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian partition which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries.
  
  5. Calls upon the government of Israel and all Israelis to accept this initiative in order to safeguard the prospects for peace and stop the further shedding of blood, enabling the Arab countries and Israel to live in peace and good neighborliness, and provide future generations with security, stability, and prosperity.
  
  6. Invites the international community and all countries and organizations to support this initiative.
  
  7. Request the chairman of the summit to form a special committee composed of some of its concerned member states and the secretary-general of the League of Arab States to pursue the necessary contacts to gain support for this initiative at all levels, particularly from the United Nations, the Security Council, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the Muslim states and the European Union. 

(To be continued)

- Abdullah Ibrahim Elmoneif, Ph.D. is currently working at the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG). Before joining SANG, he held various positions at the Ministry of Justice and SANG. Dr. Elmoneif taught public administration at King Kahiad Military Academy. He was a Teaching Assistant (TA) and Research Assistant (RA) in the field of international relations and public administration /public policy at Howard University with Prof. M. Frazier. He got his B.A. from Concordia University, Portland, Oregon, and his M.P.A. from California State University, Chico, California. Dr. Elmoneif wrote a Ph.D. dissertation focusing on King Abdullah's foreign and domestic policies, which he submitted to Howard University's Department of Political Science.

Reprinted with permission of Arab News