Jordan's King Says Continuous Israeli Aggression Will Raise Tension in Region

Published July 10th, 2001 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday condemned Israel's "aggression" in the Palestinian territories, saying Israel's continuous attacks would further complicate the situation in the region. 

The monarch’s remarks came during a meeting with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, reported the official Petra news agency. 

The king denounced "the Israeli aggression in the Palestinian territories and the pursuit of its settlement policy and called on Israel to respect the ceasefire." 

Israel and the Palestinians agreed on June 13 to a US-brokered ceasefire as a first step towards implementing the recommendations of the Mitchell report for an unconditional truce, followed by confidence-building measures. 

But both sides continue to accuse one another of violating the truce and failing to forge ahead with the implementation of the international report named after former US senator George Mitchell. 

Arafat arrived in Amman Tuesday coming from Lusaka, where he attended a summit of the Organization of African Unity, and left for Ramallah in the West Bank after his brief meeting with the Jordanian monarch. 

At the summit on Monday, Arafat compared the fate of Africans to that of his own people, saying both had suffered segregation, exploitation and apartheid, according to AFP.  

Arafat was attending a historic final summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), about to transform itself into a new African Union, intended as a more closely-knit organization.  

"You've suffered from segregation, exploitation, apartheid," Arafat said at the summit opening.  

"These are the same sufferings the Palestinians have to face from Israel... they confiscate our lands for their settlers...they deny the right to a dignified life for the Palestinians.  

"Israel wants everything - land, security and peace," he added, stressing: "Peace remains our ultimate goal."  

Arafat thanked African heads of state for their support for a Palestinian state "with Holy Jerusalem as capital," and wished success to the new African Union, said the agency – Albawaba.com  

 

 

 

 

 

© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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