Full
text of the speech, as provided in English by the Saudi Press
Agency:
In the name of God, the most
merciful and the most compassionate, praise be to God Almighty,
the knower of the unseen and the unknown who revealed the
following in the Holy Quran: "Dispute not one with another
lest ye falter and your strength depart from you."
Peace and prayer be upon the
Prophet of mercy, who urged that ranks and objectives be unified
by stating that "the believers in their amicability,
compassion and warmth are like the human body; if an organ feels
an ailment, the rest of the body will react with pain and
sleeplessness."
My brethren, the leaders of the
Arab nation: my brethren, the people of our Arab and Islamic
nation: God's peace and mercy be upon you.
I greet all of you with the
greeting of Islam. And I thank the fraternal country of Lebanon;
the Lebanon of pride and national unity; the Lebanon of all Arabs,
with all its religious and sectariana ffiliations, for hosting
this summit at this critical and turbulent juncture in history in
which events are unfolding, and whose ultimate outcome is known
only to God Almighty.
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, can not be erased from memory, nor
will the passage of time diminish their importance. No right is
lost that has an advocate behind it. Those who follow the intifada
of our brothers in Palestine, which has the support of all Arabs
and Muslims, realise that steadfastness will not wither, that
bravery will not retreat, and that justice will prevail.
Every person in Palestine - young
and old - understands that the way to the liberation of his land
and soil is either through steadfastness and struggle, or a just
and comprehensive peace. It is therefore incumbent on the Israeli
government to realise and understand this and deal with it by
embarking on a new path, and that is the path of peace.
My dear brethren: the noble people
of the Arab and Islamic nation: 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
non-binding obligation imposed by one party on the other. Peace is
a free and voluntary choice made by two equal parties, and it can
not 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 U.N.
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 organisations, and
re-emphasised once more this month, by U.N. Security Council
resolution 1397.
My esteemed brethren: it is clear
in our minds, and in the minds of our brethren in Palestine, Syria
and Lebanon, that the only acceptable objective of the peace
process is the full Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Arab
territories, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state
with al-Quds al-Shareef (East Jerusalem) as its capital, and the
return of refugees.
Without moving towards this
objective, the peace process is an exercise in futility and a play
onwords and a squandering of time which perpetuates the cycle of
violence. The return to the negotiating table is a meaningless
endeavour if the negotiations do not produce tangible and positive
results, as has been the case for the past 10 years.
Allow me at this point to directly
address the Israeli people, to say to them that the use of
violence, for more than 50 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
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 fighting in
self-defence 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.
Dear brethren, in light of the
above, and in this place with you and amongst you, and with your
backing and that of the Almighty, 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 which seeks to remove the danger of
destructive wars and the establishment of peace for all the
inhabitants of the region, without exception.
I ask God Almighty to guide us to
the correct decision, and to provide us with the determination of
the believer, for he is our Lord and ultimate benefactor. God's
peace and blessing be upon you. |