The
King also urged Jewish American leaders to
acknowledge the importance of the Arab Peace
Initiative for Israeli and Palestinian
security.
The
Arab Peace Initiative envisions
comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, with full
security guarantees for
Israel
from every Arab state in exchange for the
establishment of a viable, independent
Palestinian state, Israeli withdrawal from
all Arab territory occupied since 1967 and
an agreed settlement to the refugee
question.
The
initiative was tabled by Arab states in
2002, but is drawing increasing interest
from Muslim states from outside the region
that want to make a constructive
contribution to regional peace-making.
The
King said that the Arab Peace Initiative
could lead to
Israel's full integration into the region
and formal ties with Muslim states that have
refrained from normalizing ties with
Israel
because of their opposition to
Israel
's occupation of
Palestine
.
He
added that Israelis and Arabs are today
facing a choice between perpetual chaos and
violence or full peace, stability and
security for all the states of the region,
including
Israel
.
King
Abdullah told the group that Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas has a mandate to
negotiate a peace deal, but that his role
must be strengthened.
He
said that could be achieved through support
for peace-making on the basis of the Arab
Peace Initiative, for the efforts of the
Arab Quartet and for American engagement in
Middle East
peace-making.
He
added that
US
leadership is "indispensable" to
Middle East peace and urged the group to
encourage the
US
administration and Congress to advance the
creation of a viable, independent
Palestinian state alongside
Israel
.
The
King's meeting with Jewish organizations was
preceded by another with leaders of the
Arab- and Muslim-American community, whose
support for American diplomacy in the region
can also help foster
Middle East
peace.
In
recent interviews, King Abdullah has said
that he hopes people in the Palestinian
territories,
Israel
and elsewhere make known to their elected
representatives their concern about the
Middle East
conflict and the importance of a just
resolution to regional conflict.
King
Abdullah is on a working visit to the
US
to advance Arab diplomacy for
Middle East
peace. Over the past two days, he has met
with US President George W. Bush, Vice
President Dick Cheney and
US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Earlier
today, he met with elected representatives,
including Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In
an historic address to a joint meeting of
Congress, the King appealed for greater
US
engagement in regional peace-making. He told
legislators that the
US' responsibility towards the region was
"paramount" and that its potential
to help Palestinians and Israelis find peace
was "unrivalled".
~~~~~
