By Stan Goodenough
Feb 24, 2008
The Arab League tried at the weekend to scare or lure Israel into explicitly accepting its so called peace initiative.
It failed.
The initiative, upon which the Quartet's 'Road Map' is based, sees the Jews relinquishing all Judea, Samaria and Gaza, including parts of the Israeli capital Jerusalem, for the creation of a Palestinian state.
In exchange, the Arab League promises that all its states will grant Israel full recognition and peace.
Charging Israel with "sabotaging" its efforts and fueling despair among the Palestinian Arabs, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned that the League was running out of patience because of the lack of progress towards the birthing of Palestine.
Al-Faisal, in an address to South American and Arab foreign ministers meeting in Argentina Thursday, said it was "unbelievable that we keep blaming the weak party in the equation, which is the Palestinian people [as if the Arab League has ever blamed them-Ed], with all the suffering they live under, while ignoring [sic] what Israel does by expanding settlements, tightening the siege, humiliating the Palestinians and carrying out a mass punishment against them."
If Israel does not get serious about peace we'll be "forced" to review our options, he added, darkly.
Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Muhammad Sobeigh slammed Israel for risking the termination of the "sole political initiative" there is.
"If Israel makes it fail, [the Arabs] have to search for other options," Sobeih said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem insisted Sunday that Israel's position remains unchanged, and dismissed al-Faisal's threats as meaningless.
The Arabs won't withdraw their plan, they said, confidentally.