Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher has welcomed an idea raised by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah for Arab states to recognize Israel in return for its withdrawal from all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"This is part of the efforts constantly made by Saudi Arabia - and for which it is thanked - to support the peace process and support Arab states to obtain their rights," Maher said in comments carried by Egypt's Middle East News Agency on Tuesday.
"The basic problem in the Middle East is illegal occupation of Arab lands, so of course withdrawal from them means an end to the problem," he told a meeting of Egyptian newspaper editors.
On Sunday, The New York Times published Crown Prince Abdullah’s remarks that he had been ready to push for normalization of Arab relations with Israel in return for Israel's full withdrawal to the 1967 borders. However, he added that he shelved the plan because of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's policies against Palestinians.
Meanwhile, asked about Abdullah's ideas, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa signaled on Monday that Israel would need to leave other land under occupation for recognition.
"With the setting up of an effective Palestinian state and an Israeli withdrawal from Syrian land and what remains of Lebanese territories, the problem between the Arabs and Israel will end," he remarked. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
