Arab heads of states on Sunday wrapped up a two-day emergency summit in Cairo, dedicated to discussion of the ongoing bloody events in the Palestinian territories that led to the death of more than 120 and the injury of thousands in 24 days.
The Arab leaders agreed to financially support the Intifada, and to take measures against Israel.
However, the Jewish state showed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, describing it as “a victory of wisdom in the Arab world," the Israeli government spokesman said, quoted by AFP.
The final statement, signed by all participants except the Libyan representative who walked out after the opening session Saturday, covered nine main points that summarizes the Arab reaction towards the events in Palestine.
Initial reactions from the Arab world showed complete dissatisfaction with the communiqué.
“I feel sad,” said Hanan Ashrawi, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council in an interview with Al Jazira satellite channel. She added that the Arab leaders did not meet the expectations of the Palestinian people, whose confrontations with the Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza did not stop during the summit or after it ended.
“People were demonstrating in the streets [of Ramallah] while I was on my way to the studio,” Ashrawi said.
Ramadan Shalah, leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement described the meeting as “the summit of the scared,” in a telephone interview with Al Jazira.
Ashrawi denounced the meeting for not blaming the US for its biased positions in favor of Israel.
However, the Saudi proposal to set up funds to support the Palestinians, with a billion dollars in assets, received welcome from the Palestinian lawmaker.
The Arab leaders did not decide firmly on cutting all links with Israel, despite the strong language used in wording the communiqué.
“In the light of the reversal of the peace process, the Arab leaders stressed their commitment to firmly challenge Israeli attempts to infiltrate the Arab world in any form, and to stop opening relations with Israel," the statement said.
"They hold Israel responsible for any steps and decisions made by Arab states regarding relations with Israel, including their cancellation," it said.
Tunis has announced Sunday that it will cease all relations with Israel, while Qatar said it is considering a similar decision, according to reports.
The summit's final statement said that the Palestinian Intifada is a justified response to the frustration the Palestinians have experienced throughout years of fruitless negotiations with Israel.
"The summit salutes the Intifada of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories which has clearly voiced their bitter frustration after waiting long years for a political settlement which has produced no results due to Israel's obstinacy, procrastination and failure to implement its commitments.
"The Arab leaders stress their total support for the resistance of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories in the face of Israeli aggression.
"The Arab leaders blame Israel for bringing the region back to an atmosphere of tension and violence through its practices and aggressions and its siege of the Palestinian children,” the statement said.
Although no immediate financial support was decided for the Palestinians, the Arab leaders “In line with a Saudi proposal, the summit has decided on the setting up of two funds: the first, named 'Al-Aqsa Fund' and worth 800 million dollars, will finance projects to preserve the Arab identity of Jerusalem ...
"The second, the 200-million-dollar 'Jerusalem Intifada Fund', will assist the families of the martyrs and the education of their children.
“The summit thanks Saudi leaders who have decided to contribute a quarter of the amount for the two funds. The summit invites all Arab citizens to donate a quarter of their salary for one day to support the uprising of the Palestinian people
In a step to support the Palestinian economy in the long run, "The Arab leaders ... decided to open Arab markets to Palestinian goods while exempting them from taxes and duty.”
There was no mentioning of any steps to remove Israeli obstacles before the development of economy in Palestine.
The summit also decided to halt peace talks at the multilateral level, and set conditions for the achievement a just and lasting peace in the region.
"The Arab leaders emphasize that the deadlock on the various bilateral tracks of the peace process has led to a halt of the multilateral track.
"They stress that healing matters of regional cooperation can only be achieved by a real progress towards comprehensive and just peace in the region.
"They decide not to resume any official or unofficial activities within the multilateral framework and to stop all steps and activities of regional economic cooperation with Israel within this framework.”
“The Arab leaders stress that a comprehensive and just peace will not be achieved without returning Jerusalem to complete Palestinian sovereignty and giving the Palestinian people their legitimate rights, including the right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital."
They also demanded "the return of all Arab occupied lands including Israel's complete withdrawal from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and from the occupied Syrian Golan."
They also demanded "a completion of the withdrawal from Lebanon to the internationally recognized borders including the Shabaa Farms and the release of all Arab prisoners in Israeli jails according to United Nations resolutions."
They also demanded "the removal of Israeli settlements in implementation of Security Council resolution 465 or 1980.”
Other resolutions were seen by analysts as impractical or already taken by international organizations.
Calling on the Security Council to set up a tribunal to try Israeli leaders who killed Palestinians as war criminals will simply be vetoed by the US, Ashrawi told Al Jazira.
"The Arab leaders demand the Security Council to form an international criminal court to try Israeli war criminals who have carried out massacres against the Palestinians and Arabs in the occupied territories, based on the example of the courts set up by the Council to try war criminals in Rwanda and Yugoslavia,” read the statement, adding “The Arab leaders demand the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly to take responsibility for guaranteeing the necessary protection of the Palestinian people suffering under Israeli occupation with a view to establishing an international force.
"The United Nations remains responsible for the Palestinian territories and their people until they achieve their firm rights in Palestine."
They went on to demand what the UN Human Rights Commission has already decided: a probe into the bloody events.
The emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa promised at the summit to provide the UN body with the needed $815,000 to carry out the mission.
"The Arab leaders demand the establishment of an impartial international committee of investigation within the context of the United Nations, to present a report to the Security Council and the Human Rights Committee on the reasons and responsibility for the dangerous deterioration in the occupied Palestinian territories ...
"The summit thanks the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, for his decision to pay the costs of the inquiry into the occupied territories that was decided by the UN human rights commission,” said the communiqué.
The Arab leaders have decided to meet at regular annual summits.
"The Arab leaders decide to adopt the special mechanism for holding regular Arab summits (each year in March) ...
"The kings, presidents and emirs decide that the Arab League Council will meet at the summit level ... in March 2001 in Amman under the presidency of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the Arab League.” – (Several Sources)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
