Daily Times

The 32nd summit of the Arab League concluded with member countries adopting the Jeddah Declaration in which they reiterated the need for unity for security and stability in the region. The summit – convened in Jeddah with Syria participating for the first time after over a decade – deliberated over various issues including the Palestinian-Israeli dispute as well as developments in Yemen, Lebanon, Libya and Sudan. The member countries at the summit declared Palestine as a central cause and reaffirmed its right “to absolute authority over all territories occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem.”

The significance of “activating the Arab Peace Initiative” – proposed by the Saudi Kingdom and endorsed by the Arab League in the Beirut summit in 2002 – was also voiced by the member countries. The league’s concluding statement mentioned how the Israel-Palestinian violence has continued to intensify for months with raids by the Israeli military and settler violence in West Bank becoming a frequent affair.

“Since January, more than 140 Palestinians and at least 19 Israelis and foreigners have been killed in the West Bank and Israel,” Al Arabiya reported. Syria’s return to the league was also welcomed by the bloc after over a decade-long hiatus and isolation in the region. Member countries hoped the major development will promote stability and unity within Syria.

“[We] must intensify Arab efforts to help Syria resolve its crisis,” the declaration stated. Syria remained suspended by the 22-member bloc from November 2011 due to its regime’s lethal crackdown on protests, which turned into a conflict and claimed the lives of over 500,000 people as well as caused displacement of millions.

Rejecting “foreign interferences” in the internal affairs of Arab countries, the bloc’s declaration mentioned: “[We] completely reject supporting the formation of armed militias… [and warn] that internal military conflicts will only aggravate people’s suffering.” The league’s member countries also spoke about the ongoing situation in Sudan between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its army with member countries rejecting “foreign interferences that inflame the conflict and threaten regional security and stability.”

League’s members called for unity and dialogue among the warring sides. On the issue of Yemen, the bloc reiterated support for all the international and regional efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to the years-long warfare which has killed thousands of people leaving millions reliant on international support.

Casualties sharply decreased after a a UN-brokered ceasefire last year in April, but fighting has mostly remained halted since the expiration of the truce in October. Member states, on Lebanon, have urged authorities to elect a president and constitute a cabinet “as soon as possible,” for executing economic reforms and tackle the ongoing crisis in the country.