RIYADH/SHARM EL-SHEIKH, 11 March — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, has said that Israeli crimes against Palestinian civilians can never be forgiven. The Israeli aggression against the Palestinians is “a crime that can never be forgiven, and we should never forgive those who support it,” Prince Sultan was quoted by the Saudi Press Agency as saying. The prince was speaking to the press Saturday night after presenting the King Faisal International Prizes.
In the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal offered Israel “complete peace from Arab states” in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from occupied land and the creation of an independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. Prince Saud was speaking to reporters after meeting for an hour yesterday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Prince Saud said the Kingdom would formally present the peace proposal by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, at an Arab summit in Beirut at the end of this month.
“Arab countries stress their intention to realize a lasting and comprehensive peace but at the same time Israel must show its good faith toward peace,” Prince Saud said. He called on Israel to withdraw from Arab territory captured in war and grant “the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, including the creation of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. If it does that it will be met with complete peace from Arab states.”
He said Crown Prince Abdullah and Mubarak have spoken at length on the initiative and both sides shared alarm at “Palestinian bloodshed.”
Prince Saud did not answer directly when asked whether the Saudi proposal would be submitted if the Israelis kept Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from attending the Beirut summit, but added the plan “is for the benefit of Palestine.”
The Saudi initiative has won the support of heavyweight Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Syria, though Syria has said the issue of Palestinian refugees must be addressed.
European Union foreign ministers will throw their weight today behind Arab and US peace efforts. The 15 ministers will support the crown prince’s peace initiative as well as US envoy Anthony Zinni’s planned trip to the region and will pledge to work closely with Washington in the search for peace.
“The message from Brussels will be very clear — the Israelis and Palestinians must halt the spiral of violence and commit themselves to a renewal of dialogue,” said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
Solana will brief the ministers on his own recent shuttle diplomacy in the region, which included talks with Crown Prince Abdullah on his peace initiative.
