His Majesty King Abdullah II’s interview with Saad Silawi on AlArabiya
Al Arabiyya: Your Majesty, you will travel to Riyadh tomorrow to take part in the Arab summit which convenes during very critical conditions facing the Arab nation. What is the message you will convey during this summit?
King Abdullah: I hope that we will emerge from this summit with a unified Arab stance towards the Palestinian issue, which is the core Arab issue and the main cause of conflict and instability in the region.
We should send to the world a clear message that expresses the Arabs' sincere intentions and their desire to realise peace and stability in this region.
We seek to achieve a just and comprehensive peace that puts an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and restores their legitimate rights, foremost of which is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, on Palestinian soil.
Al Arabiyya: Your Majesty, there are some in the world who doubt Arab intentions towards peace with Israel, but the Arabs also do not find good will towards peace on the part of the Israelis.
King Abdullah: There has to be a message to Israel that emphasises that Israel bears the greatest responsibility towards realising peace in this region. If it has the wish and sincere intention to live peacefully in this region, it has to seek peace, and accept the Arab Peace Initiative which guarantees for its people the ability to live in security and peace, side by side with the people of the region.
I and some of my brothers, the Arab leaders, used all available platforms, across the world, to convey the voice and message of peace to the whole world. Today, we, as Arabs, want to convey the message of peace through this Summit, and to tell the world that we are advocates of peace, and that we seek to reject violence and extremism.
In exchange, Israel should accept the option of peace based on a two-state solution, and should shoulder its responsibility towards its people and its future, and the future of the region and generations to come.
Al Arabiyya: What is exactly required from the Israelis and the Palestinians?
King Abdullah: What is required from Israel is to accept the Arab Initiative, to end the occupation, to recognise the two-state solution and to implement this principle on the ground, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and past agreements signed with the Palestinians.
As such, what is required from the Palestinians is to agree on a unified stance, that is built on commitment to all past agreements reached with Israel, and which the Palestinians pledged to honour.
Al Arabiyya: Your Majesty, there are several challenges facing our Arab nation. What are you going to do concerning Iraq and Lebanon as well as other issues that concern Arab citizens?
King Abdullah: The challenges facing the nation at this stage are among the most serious; primary among them being the preservation of Arab identity, maintaining the unity of Arab ranks and overcoming all differences that lead to division and threaten the unity of this nation and its future.
There is a great challenge related to restoring security and stability to Iraq and renouncing violence, terrorism and sectarian sedition. There is another challenge in Lebanon, which is the preservation of Lebanon's sovereignty and stability and rejection of any external interference in its internal affairs.
Arab leaders should address these challenges and others with utmost responsibility and the highest degree of cooperation, in order to build a better future for generations to come. And I am confident that the results of this summit, which convenes in Riyadh under the chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, will be in harmony with the hopes and ambitions of our Arab peoples.
