Lecture of His Excellency
Mr. Nasser Judeh
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan
At IISS London July 5th 2010
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to say at the outset, that I am honored to be speaking here at IISS, which is a formidable and globally-recognized top-tier think tank and institution in the areas of Strategic studies and global affairs. I thank the administration of IISS; and especially Dr. John Chipman for their gracious invitation for me to speak here today, and exchange views with this distinguished audience on the current state of play regarding the peace-making efforts in the Middle East and the strategic consequences to the success of those efforts, and the risks and dangers of failure or deadlock.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you are all aware, my country Jordan has been spearheading for decades the efforts aiming at realizing the two-state solution; by which a sovereign, independent, viable and territorially contiguous Palestinian state would be established along the June 4th 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its Capital; that lives side by side in peace, security and harmony with Israel and all the countries of the region; within a regional context that culminates in comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. His Majesty King Abdullah II continuously and vigorously exerts every possible effort to place this objective at the top of the global agenda, and never spares an opportunity to create and secure the necessary and needed momentum, and action, by the international community to move things forward towards a comprehensive resolution to the chronic and long standing Arab-Israeli conflict, at the heart of which lies the Palestine problem. His Majesty the King was instrumental in reinstating the goal of urgently achieving comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace as a global priority and objective back in 2007, when His Majesty wisely identified the resolution of this conflict as a vital national interest for every country in the world, and not only for the countries of the Middle East.
His Majesty and Jordan played a key supportive role to Saudi Arabia in formulating and adopting the Arab Peace Initiative (API) in the Arab Summit held in Beirut in 2002. This important initiative, is by all standards, a historic offer that unfortunately was not accorded its due regard and importance by successive Israeli governments. It is a framework, that contains a collective and unequivocal Arab undertaking, to achieving formal peace with Israel and normal relations with 22 Arab states, in return for establishing the independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as it Capital, and ending the Israeli occupation of all the Syrian and Lebanese territories that were occupied in 1967, and achieving “a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem to be agreed upon in accordance with U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194”.
Furthermore, the API clearly provides for, and stipulates that, consequently all Arab States “Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into peace agreements with Israel, affirm security for all the states of the region, and affirm establishing normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace”. All ensuing Arab Summits reiterated commitment to the API, and the Organization of Islamic States (OIC) in turn endorsed, at Summit and Ministerial levels, on many occasions, the API. In essence this means that once the API is implemented Israel would have normal relations not only with 22 Arab states, but also beyond that with more than 35 other Islamic states, which it does not have normal relations with now. The API constitutes a clear departure from the zero=sum equation. It is a win=win formula for all the parties concerned; Israel, which will get peace, real security and will be genuinely integrated as part of the region; the Palestinians, who will achieve statehood; the Arabs, who will recover their occupied territories and live in a stable and peaceful region, that will enjoy peace, cooperation and prosperity; and the international community at large because [Peace in the Middle East is peace of mind for the whole world].
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The API has been on offer since 2002. It is still on offer to Israel, and it is high time for the Israeli government to accept this collective and comprehensive Arab and Islamic peace offer, that will guarantee the security of all the countries and peoples of the Middle East, usher in economic prosperity, and that will unleash the vast potential of the peoples of the Middle East, whose overwhelming majority are young. We all owe this to our peoples, and we have a tremendous responsibility towards them to enable them to live a normal and prosperous life, that is free from occupation, fear, insecurity, degradation, subordination, denial of justice and animosity.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
President Obama and his administration recognized early on the urgency of realizing the two-state solution, within a regional context, that achieves comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. Accordingly, the President, despite the pressing domestic challenges and circumstances that prevailed in the US back then in the midst of the financial crisis , clearly signaled on his first day in office, that pursuing comprehensive Middle East Peace and the realization of the two-state solution is a top national interest for the US. He placed phone calls to His Majesty King Abdullah II, and to other Middle East leaders in his first few hours in the Oval office. President Obama also appointed a distinguished personality; Senator George Mitchell as a Special Envoy to the Middle East on his 2nd official day in office and deployed him to the region instantly.
Furthermore, President Obama identified achieving Arab-Israeli Peace with US national interest. This approach by President Obama and his administration, coincided with the emergence of a solid consensus in Europe and worldwide that the only solution to the Palestine problem is the two-state solution, within a regional context that ensures ushering in comprehensive Arab-Israel peace, on the basis of the internationally agreed upon terms of reference and the API.
Additionally there has been international unanimity that there is a pressing sense of urgency attached to realizing this objective. The United Kingdom has been exerting significant and enormous efforts to generate tangible traction on the front of Middle East peace-making; and we are very encouraged by the recent statements of the Right Honorable Mr. William Hague the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary in which he clearly reiterated in unequivocal terms the sense of urgency that the UK attaches to this endeavor, and in which he clearly pointed that “lack of progress is detrimental to the UK’s own security”.
His Majesty King Abdullah II and Jordan, were and continue to be, fully supportive of the US efforts, and of other international efforts exerted to ensure success in achieving tangible traction. We are firmly committed to doing all we can to assist all the parties in generating the needed progress to jump-start direct, committed, serious, benchmarked and time-bound negotiations, as soon as possible, on all tracks from the point at which they had stopped in the past, culminating in the crystallization of the two-state solution and achieving comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
2009 and to date in 2010 were consumed in exerting relentless and genuine efforts to resume direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The focus on this objective perhaps induced less attention to, and less focus on, the “comprehensive” context that requires also resuming negotiations on the other Arab-Israeli tracks; namely the Syrian-Israeli and the Lebanese-Israeli tracks. It is perhaps prudent to attempt to resume negotiations on those tracks too from the point at which they had stopped.
The “comprehensive” approach is one that can be leveraged to generate movement and tangible results on the Palestinian-Israeli track. This is not to say or imply in way that it would create “competition between tracks”, because it should not and cannot. The Palestine problem is the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict and without resolving it, no closure can be arrived at to this conflict. On the contrary, the “comprehensive” approach can, and should bring about, the much needed restoration of confidence between the parties, and render different negotiating tracks mutually reinforcing rather than competing.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Palestinians and Israel are currently in the midst of “proximity talks”. This form of “negotiations” was one of necessity rather than one of choice, due to many obstacles, and to Israel’s refusal to heed the call of the world to bring all settlement activity, which is inherently illegal, unlawful, illegitimate and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, international humanitarian law and scores of UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, to a total freeze while negotiations are ongoing. Such a total freeze was very important, particularly given the general mood in the Arab World after Israel’s assault on Gaza in 2008. The plethora of ongoing, and almost daily, aggressive unilateral Israeli measures in the Occupied West Bank in general, and in occupied East Jerusalem in particular continue to be a major hurdle and obstacle, and a major confidence eroding approach that is hindering the resumption of direct talks. The Israeli siege on Gaza must be lifted immediately, and it is the collective responsibility of the international community to ensure that it is without any further delay. It is our duty to ensure that 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza are no longer subjected to the deprivation and humanitarian catastrophe generated by the Israeli siege.
Nevertheless, we fully support those “proximity talks”. We will spare no effort to ensure that they succeed, and we hope that they will achieve and meet the necessary benchmarks needed to move to direct talks quickly. This necessitates that Israel brings to a total halt, all its unilateral measures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, whether those unilateral measures are in the form of settlement activity, land and property confiscation, or in the form of demolishing Arab homes and evicting Christian and Muslim Arabs from their homes or in the form excavations and tunneling in, under and around the most revered Christian and Muslim Holy Sites. This also requires zero-tolerance for all forms provocation and incitement by all the parties concerned. It also requires exerting leadership, by the parties in investing in, and putting in motion, a set of confidence building measures that would boost trust and restore faith.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
His Majesty King Abdullah II contends that “we have had too much process, yet too little peace in the Middle East”. Today, we cannot afford another failed peace process, nor can we afford or allow the catastrophic repercussions of such a failure. Confidence between the parties in the Middle East is at its lowest, and another open-ended, and ultimately failed process, would most certainly have the gravest of consequences for the entire region and beyond. The parameters for, and final shape of, the two-state solution are rather clear, and the details of this solution have been negotiated repeatedly between the Palestinians and Israel in the past. Serious progress was achieved in talks between the parties in the past to the point of placing them at the threshold of crossing the finish-line. Regrettably they did not cross it. We must ensure, that this time around, they do with our collective help, and through time-bound direct negotiations; addressing all final status issues, including borders, Jerusalem, security and refugees. Such negotiations should resume, as soon as possible and once the requirements for such negotiations are in place. The parties must display, in those negotiations, the needed commitment, seriousness, good will and leadership to make history.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The absence of the two-state solution, and the continuation of the Arab-Israeli conflict are the major and elemental sources of tension in the region. The successful realization of the two-state solution, and the achievement of comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, will have positive strategic consequences in the region and for the world at large.
While there are various root-causes for extremist ideology and terrorism, the legitimate Palestinian grievances, Israel’s continued denial of enabling the Palestinians to exercise their legitimate rights, at the forefront of which is the right to statehood, and Israel’s continued occupation of Syrian and Lebanese territories, constitute a formidable and dangerous propaganda, posturing, mobilization and recruitment tools for proponents of extremist ideology, and for terrorists and terrorist organizations. They exploit those circumstances to advance their violent agendas that are, in reality, completely unrelated to providing satisfaction and justice to the Palestinians and for the legitimate Arab grievances.
Arriving at the two-state solution and securing comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, would undoubtedly deprive such elements and organizations from an effective tool. We are not naïve to assume that all mischief will end with the end of this conflict. However, we fully believe that it will be significantly weakened, and the appeal of such violent agendas will be immensely eroded. Therefore, progress on the Middle East peace-making front, cant assist the global efforts to stabilize Afghanistan; an international effort that we are firmly committed to, until we achieve our collective objective of stabilizing Afghanistan and restoring peace and order thereto, defeating terrorists and extremists there, and consequently ensuring the security and safety of our peoples and nations. It would also allow us to focus our efforts and resources more to assist Iraq and its government in fully restoring peace, stability and order to Iraq, in a manner that safeguards Iraq’s territorial integrity, political independence, internal cohesion, and inhibit external interference in its affairs.
Additionally, the successful and comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict would also assist the global efforts to strengthen the non-proliferation regime of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. While on the other hand, its continuation would significantly increase the risk of proliferation of WMDs to states and sub-state actors. Collective security arrangements would be an integral component of comprehensive peace, and the relevance of WMDs as a deterrent would be completely neutralized and nullified with the advent of comprehensive peace; and as the sense of security of the countries of the region increases progressively post-peace, we could achieve the objective of rendering the entire Middle East a WMD free zone.
Middle East Peace would also usher in prosperity to our region. It will boost trans-border cooperation between all the countries of the region. It will enable the implementation of cooperative regional projects that can only be conceived in and implemented, in the context of peaceful and cooperative relations between countries. It would provide solutions for regional problems and challenges such as the challenge of water shortage in the region. It would also allow the execution of inter-regional mega-projects such as the construction of oil and gas pipelines from the gulf, through the countries of the East Mediterranean, and towards Europe and the rest of the world. This can also enable the linkage of gas and electricity networks and grids between the Middle East and Europe. It would also enable the creation of a railway and land transportation network that links the Middle East to Europe, and would indeed ensure an elevated level of energy security, and secure the flows of the energy resources of the region to the world. Such projects have been at a standstill, pending the advent of comprehensive peace to the Middle East. We cannot afford, nor can the peoples of the region, any further delay in implementing those cooperative projects; and we are going ahead with their execution. Should Israel elect, and hopefully it will, to go forward on the path of achieving peace, it can join in and “plug-and –play”.
All of this would in turn significantly improve the economies of the countries of the region and the living conditions of its peoples. It will inevitably create sufficient and abundant employment opportunities for the peoples of the region, and thus limit immigration from the region to other parts of the world.
Most importantly, it will deliver to the Peoples of the Middle East; Arabs and Israelis, Muslims, Jews and Christians the prosperous and hopeful way of life that their peers in other parts of the world enjoy and live. That is, a life free from fear, oppression, animosity and deprivation; and a life that abounds with hope, opportunity, economic affluence, prosperity and innovation. It will deliver to the world, and for the benefit of the world, the rich reservoir of untapped talent and humongous dividends of unleashing the full potential of our region and its peoples.
Thank you very much
