He announced a donation of $ 1 billion from the Kingdom to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after the devastating Israeli offensive, and lambasted the Jewish state for its excessive use of force on the people of Gaza.
In his historic speech, King Abdullah said that the period of Arab disunity was over, opening a new era of Arab unity and brotherhood. The king set an example by holding talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad in the presence of Jordan’s King Abdallah, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah.
“A reconciliation has been achieved between Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria,” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani told the Doha-based Al Jazeera television channel, adding that the meeting took place at the residence of King Abdullah following the summit’s opening session.
“There was clear word from these leaders for a real, clear reconciliation, from the heart. We left with an understanding that undoubtedly a new page had been turned that would benefit and strengthen the Arab position…,” the Qatari premier said.
He said there had been some misunderstandings over the Doha meeting, which was not meant to replace Kuwait’s summit.
“We hope now that we can put our hands together … to strengthen the Arab position,” Sheikh Hamad said. “King Abdullah’s speech has paved the way for reconciliation talks.”
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah opened the summit with a call for collective Arab measures setting out “practical steps to stabilize the cease-fire” in Gaza. He voiced support for the Arab peace initiative, which was originally proposed by King Abdullah in 2002 and relaunched in March 2007.
The peace plan offers Israel collective Arab recognition in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from territory it occupied in the 1967 war, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution for the problem of Palestinian refugees.
Israel initially rejected the initiative in 2002, but in the past year has said it could be a starting point for discussion.
“The position of the Israeli government is that the Arab peace initiative remains a basis for dialogue between Israel and the Arab world,” said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected any talk of abandoning the initiative, saying the only option that Arabs have is to make peace with Israel. He called for reconciliation within Palestinian ranks through a national unity government that would hold simultaneous presidential and legislative elections.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said Arab countries would have to come up with an alternative if they decided to abandon the initiative. Freezing or suspending (the initiative) is not an option, said Moussa.
Mubarak pushed Israel to respond to the Arab initiative, saying “peace in the Middle East is an imperative that cannot be delayed.”
Mubarak accused Hamas of inviting Israel’s three-week offensive against Gaza by not extending their cease-fire when it expired last month. “You all know that efforts Egypt had undertaken to extend the cease-fire and our warnings that a refusal by factions to extend it was an open invitation to Israeli aggression,” he told the summit. He said Egypt would continue its efforts to achieve reconciliation between Palestinians. “Without it (Palestinian unity), no stability will be realized for Gaza and no rebuilding and no end to its embargo,” Mubarak said.
Initially intended to focus solely on the regional economy and to be nonpolitical, the gathering has been turned into a show of solidarity with the 1.5 million Palestinian residents of Gaza.
On the economic aspect, the Arab leaders are expected to announce the launch of an Arab Customs Union in 2010, besides approving plans for an Arab power grid and railroad projects.
The summit will also tackle poverty and unemployment in Arab states and the global financial crisis, which has cost investors in the region $ 2.5 trillion.
