ABBAS ARRIVES IN EGYPT FOR 26TH ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT

Sharm El-Sheikh, 8 Jumadil Akhir 1436/ 28 March 2015 (MINA)- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on Friday evening to participate in the 26th Arab League summit beginning on Saturday.

Abbas told the press delegation accompanying him that his speech on Saturday would pose bold issues, adding: “Tomorrow we will candidly disclose all our ideas to Arab leaders.” He did not elaborate on these ideas.

Abbas said he will be heading to Tunisia after the summit to participate in a rally against terrorism following the attack on Bardo Museum that left 20 foreigners and one Tunisian national dead., Ma’an News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Abbas was met at Sharm el-Sheikh airport by Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and head of the Islamic Organization of Cooperation Iyad Madani will also be taking part in the summit.

An Arab diplomatic source told Ma’an that Arab countries had agreed to support operation “Firmness Storm” in support of Yemen’s embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, adding that nine Arab armies are taking part in the military intervention.

The Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Riyad al-Maliki, told Ma’an that the objectives of the summit are the clearest in 40 years, with the decision to back military operations in Yemen as well as supporting the Palestinian cause, the two main projects.

The summit will affirm Arab support for Palestine’s pursuit to have a Palestinian state recognized at the the UN Security Council, as well as support for the Arab Peace Initiative to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The 2002 peace initiative was approved at an Arab Summit in Beirut and offered normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world in exchange for withdrawal from the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, and a “just settlement” for the Palestinian refugee crisis.

Ahead of last year’s summit in Kuwait, officials told Ma’an that Arab envoys were considering withdrawing the Arab Peace Initiative, but to date it remains the most comprehensive proposal.

Maliki said that he is also hoping to form a joint Arab force to map out the challenges and violations against Palestinian national security.

At last year’s summit, Arab leaders fully backed a Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

The PLO recognized Israel’s right to exist in 1988, but said that recognizing Israel as a “Jewish state” was unnecessary and could jeopardize the right of return for Palestinian refugees and limit the rights of Palestinians living in Israel.

President Abbas told the summit last year that the Israeli government was not serious about peace talks. (T/P010/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)