The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union stressed today its absolute rejection of any peace settlement which does not fulfill the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to an independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital.
In the final communique of the Union’s emergency meeting to support the Palestinian cause, held in the Jordanian capital Amman on Saturday, the Union described the US-led Palestinian-Israeli peace plan, or “the deal of the century”, as a unilateral agreement which does not represent a step towards just and comprehensive peace.
The Union expressed support for the Palestinian National Authority and all active forces in their firm position rejecting the deal, calling for increased Arab support to the Palestinians in their struggle for self-determination and statehood.
The meeting stressed that the desired peace formula will only be through negotiations based on a two-state solution, and on the basis of a fair consensus on the final status issues.
The Union also decried the US president’s recognition of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, describing the step as “a dangerous escalation that threatens the security of the region and cuts the road to peace opportunities, paving the way for a religious war to which Israel will be a major party.”
The communique reiterated the Union’s adherence to the international terms of reference for the peace process, including the Arab Peace Initiative, as a basis for any peace negotiations.
It also affirmed the custodianship of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, saying Israel’s attempts to enforce a spatial and temporal division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque are rejected as they would alter the internationally recognized status quo in the city.
