Beirut Declaration

Royal Embassy of Saudi
Arabia Information Office, Washington DC

March 28, 2002

THE BEIRUT DECLARATION

The Council of the League of Arab States at the Summit Level, at its 14th Ordinary
Session

http://www.saudiembassy.net/press_release/statements/02-ST-0328-Beirut.htm

The Council of the League of Arab States at the
Summit Level, at its 14th Ordinary Session:

Reaffirming the resolution taken in June 1996 at
the Cairo extraordinary Arab Summit that a just and comprehensive peace in the
Middle East is the strategic option of the Arab countries, to be achieved in
accordance with international legality, and which would require a comparable
commitment on the part of the Israeli Government;

Having listened to the statement made by His Royal
Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, in which His Highness presented his initiative, calling for full Israeli
withdrawal from all the Arab territories occupied since June 1967, in implementation
of Security Council Resolutions 242
and 338,
reaffirmed by the Madrid Conference of 1991 and the land for peace principle;
and for Israel's acceptance of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem
as its capital, in return for the establishment of normal relations in the context
of a comprehensive peace with Israel;

Emanating from the conviction of the Arab countries
that a military solution to the conflict will not achieve peace or provide security
for the parties, the Council:

1. Requests Israel to reconsider its policies
and declare that a just peace is its strategic option as well.

2. Further calls upon Israel to affirm:

a. Full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories
occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights to the lines of
June 4, 1967, as well as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in
the south of Lebanon.

b. Achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian
Refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with UN
General Assembly Resolution 194.

c. The acceptance of the establishment of a
Sovereign Independent Palestinian State on the Palestinian territories occupied
since the 4th of June 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza strip, with East Jerusalem
as its capital.

3. Consequently, the Arab Countries affirm the
following:

a. Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended,
and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all
the states of the region.

b. Establish normal relations with Israel in
the context of this comprehensive peace.

4. Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian
patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host
countries.

5. Calls upon the Government of Israel and all
Israelis to accept this initiative in order to safeguard the prospects for
peace and stop the further shedding of blood, enabling the Arab countries
and Israel to live in peace and good neighborliness and provide future generations
with security, stability, and prosperity.

6. Invites the international community and all
countries and organizations to support this initiative.

7. Requests the Chairman of the Summit to form
a special committee composed of some of its concerned member states and the
Secretary General of the League of Arab States to pursue the necessary contacts
to gain support for this initiative at all levels, particularly from the United
Nations, the Security Council, the United States of America, the Russian Federation,
the Muslim States and the European Union.

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