AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah has renewed a call to jump-start Mideast peace negotiations to result in the establishment of a viable and independent state on Palestinian national soil.The envisioned solution, he said, should come within a regional context that would see Israeli withdrawal from occupied Syrian and Lebanese lands and guarantee Israel’s security.
In a wide-ranging interview with Al Hayat’s Editor-in-Chief Ghassan Charbel, the first part of which was published yesterday, His Majesty said there has to be a mechanism to ensure the negotiations are not a waste of time (see official translation of the 1st part of the interview).
“If there was confidence that the negotiations will not be a waste of time and a new endless process where Israel changes realities on the ground in the West Bank and Jerusalem and makes the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible due to settlement construction and other measures, then we would have overcome obstacles,” the King told the paper in the interview, part two of which is scheduled to be published today.
“But if we maintain the status quo, then we should all expect chaos and more tension,” he added.
His Majesty demanded that Israel stop all settlement construction, unilateral measures and policies that obstruct peace efforts.
He said Israel should also enter into effective negotiations that build on what has been achieved and address all final status issues within a specific time frame and in accordance with adopted references in order to reach the two-state solution as soon as possible.
He stressed that Israeli measures in Jerusalem that seek to change the identity of the city and threaten its holy sites are rejected, citing “excavation work, home demolitions [and] policies that aim to empty the city of its Arab Christian and Muslim residents”. These measures, he said, “undermine chances of peace and are opposed entirely”.
He said: “Jerusalem is a red line, and the Israelis should realise the significance of Jerusalem to Arabs, Muslims and Christians and should not play with fire.”
The King told the London-based paper that if a settlement freeze is not achieved before the start of negotiations, then there should be written American and international guarantees through the United Nations that the negotiations will address all final status issues, borders, Jerusalem and refugees, and lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital and within a clear time frame.
On the infiltration of Saudi Arabian land by Yemeni rebels (Houthis) and the ensuing clashes in the border area, King Abdullah reiterated his support for the Saudis’ right to defend their borders, land and their citizens’ safety.
“We are confident of our Saudi brothers’ ability to protect their land and preserve their security and stability... We have no fears about Saudi Arabia’s security and stability. I believe that under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Arabia is able to protect its land, and this is what is being done. Therefore, there’s no fear about Saudi stability.”
During a visit to London, where he arrived Sunday accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania, King Abdullah called for unifying international efforts, particularly those exerted by the US and the European Union, to overcome obstacles hindering the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in order to reach the two-state solution, which he said is the sole path for bringing peace and security to the region.
