NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia yesterday called for radical solutions to global conflicts including the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of UN resolutions and international law. "Peace cannot be established in the Middle East as long as Israel continues its massacres and military onslaughts against the Palestinians," the Kingdom said in an address to the UN General Assembly.
The Kingdom said the Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for normal relations with Israel if the latter withdraws its forces to its 1967 border, offered a good opportunity to achieve a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East. Israel has so far rejected the plan.
"All international peace initiatives and overtures fail as a result of intransigence and delaying tactics of the Israelis," the Kingdom told the General Assembly. The Kingdom also lambasted Israel's move to establish new Jewish settlements in occupied territories.
"No breakthrough has taken place in solving the Arab-Israeli conflict despite the recent efforts of US President Barack Obama and his team," the Kingdom said. "The diversion from the UN resolutions and the international law was the main reason for the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East."
Saudi Arabia also emphasized that any strategy to combat terrorism should consider protection of human rights, supremacy of law, spread of a culture of peace and dialogue between cultures and peoples. "Respecting international resolutions and law is the best way to solve global conflicts."
Saudi Arabia also called for the creation of a healthy atmosphere for the dissemination of the values of dialogue, tolerance and moderation and for cooperation between cultures and peoples. He said plans are under way to establish a global center for dialogue including representatives of all major religions. "This center will work independently without political interference," it added. The Kingdom called for united efforts by all countries to solve global problems.
