Saudi Arabia has rejected calls by the US government to mend relations with Israel to help restart peace talks between the jewish state and the Palestinians.
Source: Al Jazeera
- Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, said on Friday that Riyadh would not consider forging links with Israel until it agrees to withdraw from all occupied Palestinian territories.
- "Incrementalism and a step-by-step approach, has not and, we believe, will not lead to peace," al-Faisal said on Friday, after holding talks with Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, in Washington.
- Al-Faisal said that Israel must adhere to what is stipulated in the Arab Peace Initiative in order for it to have a constructive relationship with Saudi Arabia.
- "What is required is a comprehensive approach that defines the final outcome at the outset and launches into negotiations over final status issues," he said.
- Those final status issues include marking the borders of a future Palestinian state, control of the city of Jerusalem, the right of return of Palestinian refugees, security and water rights.
- Barack Obama, the US president, Clinton and Mitchell, the Middle East peace envoy, have each called on Arab states to build relations with Israel.
- Measures such as opening trade offices, allowing academic exchanges and permitting civilian Israeli aircraft to overfly their airspace have been touted by Washington as a way for Arab nations to show they are committed to peace in the region.
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