Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stressed on Monday that the only way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution, which several countries around the world support.
Speaking at the conclusion of the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit that was held in Riyadh, he added that the meeting was a follow-up to “our efforts to put a stop to the Israeli crimes.”
The summit tackled means to bolster joint work and continue cooperation with the international community to stop the war on Gaza and ease regional tensions.
“The establishment of an independent Palestinian state is a main demand and key to ending the conflict in the Middle East,” declared Prince Faisal, calling for more countries to recognize the independent state.
“We must not forget the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who are living in fear and suffering displacement. The fastest way to protect them lies in an international resolution for a ceasefire,” he went on to say.
“We want a permanent solution that consolidates peace in the region. The international community and its institutions have been lax in performing their duties towards the Palestinians,” he remarked, adding that the summit will make the world listen to the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Prince Faisal vowed that efforts will continue to achieve the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to reach a ceasefire.
“We will not tire of diplomacy because we believe in peace that we all need and deserve,” he stressed.
Moreover, he underscored the “anger of the Arab and Islamic worlds over the developments in Gaza,” saying the Israeli operations in the sector and West Bank “go beyond ensuring its safety and self-defense, but they are part of an agenda to change the status quo on the ground and destroy prospects for a two-state solution.”
The Arab and Islamic worlds are committed to supporting the Palestinian Authority, said Prince Faisal. “It alone can manage the situation in the West Bank and Gaza and pressure must be exerted on Israel to make it stop undermining its authority,” he stated.
The emergence of a united Arab Islamic position will help ease regional tensions and will have an impact in reaching a solution, he remarked.
Furthermore, he said that the continuation of the war on Gaza is a sign of the international community’s failure. “Priority now lies in ending the war and the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he added.
“We must not allow the international community to forget the truth of the Israeli crimes in Gaza,” he urged.
