An unofficial draft of the final statement of the Bahrain Summit, scheduled for Thursday, obtained by “Middle East,” includes an invitation from Arab states to “deploy international protection and peacekeeping forces under the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territory until the implementation of the two-state solution.”
According to the draft, Arab leaders are expected to emphasize in their statement the need to “set a timeline for the political process and negotiations” to take clear steps to implement the two-state solution. It stipulates that “a Security Council resolution be issued thereafter under Chapter VII to establish the viable and contiguous Palestinian state, along the pre-June 4, 1967 lines with its capital East Jerusalem, and to end any occupation of its land, holding Israel responsible for the destruction of cities and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.”
While condemning the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the draft statement also underscores the “necessity to halt the aggression,” and “the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Strip, lifting the blockade imposed on it, removing all obstacles, opening all crossings to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into all its areas, enabling United Nations organizations, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), to carry out their work freely and safely.”
The draft also reaffirms “strong rejection of any attempts at the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” while calling “for urgent measures to cease immediate and permanent ceasefire, end the aggression in the Gaza Strip, provide protection for civilians, and release hostages and detainees.”
The collective invitation from Arab states “to convene an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the Palestinian issue with the aim of finding a political path leading to a two-state solution, providing the necessary guarantees for its sustainability, embodying the independent and viable Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, as a means to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.”
Additionally, it directs “the foreign ministers of Arab states to immediately act and communicate with the foreign ministers of Western countries and world states to urge them to quickly recognize the state of Palestine.”
It is assumed that consultations will take place among foreign ministers on how to proceed with this action and that reports on this matter will be submitted to the General Secretariat of the Arab League, in support of Arab efforts to obtain full membership for the State of Palestine in the United Nations as an independent and fully sovereign state, and to intensify Arab efforts with all members of the Security Council to achieve this recognition.
In another matter, the draft “strongly and categorically rejects any support for armed groups or militias operating outside the sovereignty of states and pursuing or executing foreign agendas conflicting with the supreme interests of Arab states, with a confirmation of the solidarity of all Arab states in defending their sovereignty, territorial integrity, and protection of their national institutions against any external attempts to assault, impose influence, undermine sovereignty, or compromise Arab interests.”
It adds: “We strongly reaffirm our consistent stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and the outright rejection of its motives and justifications, working to dry up its sources of funding and support international efforts to combat extremist terrorist organizations, prevent their financing, and confront the dangerous repercussions of terrorism on the region and its threat to international peace and security.”
It calls “for deterrent measures to combat extremism, hate speech, and incitement, and to condemn these acts wherever they occur, for their negative impact on social peace and the sustainability of international peace and security, and for their encouragement of the spread, escalation, and recurrence of conflicts around the world, and the undermining of security and stability, in accordance with decisions issued by the Arab League and the United Nations Security Council.”
It also calls on “all countries to promote the values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and human brotherhood, reject hatred, sectarianism, bigotry, discrimination, and extremism in all its forms. We express deep concern over the recent military escalation in the region and the danger of its repercussions on regional security, and call on all parties to exercise restraint and spare the region and its peoples the risks of war and increased tension, and we call on the United Nations Security Council to assume its responsibility for maintaining international peace and security and to implement its resolutions related to the permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and prevent the crisis from escalating and the expansion of the war zone in the Middle East.”
Arab Issues
Regarding Sudan, the draft statement calls “for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to preserve the national state institutions and the sovereignty of the Sudanese state, alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, and prevent external interventions that prolong the crisis, including threats to regional peace and security.”
As for Syria, it emphasizes “the necessity of ending the Syrian crisis, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254, to preserve Syria’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, achieve the aspirations of its people, rid it of terrorism, and provide the conducive environment for the voluntary and safe return of refugees. It also rejects interference in Syria’s internal affairs and any attempts to make demographic changes.”
Regarding Yemen, the draft “renews support for the Yemeni government’s efforts to achieve national reconciliation among all components of the Yemeni people and the unity of the Yemeni stance to achieve security and stability in Yemen, support for UN and regional efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, according to internationally agreed references, represented in the Gulf Initiative, its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the Yemeni National Dialogue, and Security Council Resolution 2216.”
Concerning Lebanon, the draft affirms support for Lebanon, its sovereignty, stability, and territorial integrity, urging “all Lebanese parties to prioritize the election of a president, enhance the work of constitutional institutions, address political and security challenges, implement necessary economic reforms, strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese army and internal security forces to preserve Lebanon’s security, stability, and protect its borders.”
It also affirms “the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa), and calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the initiative of the United Arab Emirates to find a peaceful solution to this issue through direct negotiations or resorting to the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, contributing to building trust and enhancing security and stability in the Gulf region.”
Regarding the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which has sparked a dispute over water with Egypt and Sudan, the statement emphasizes that the water security of both Cairo and Khartoum “is an integral part of Arab national security, with an emphasis on rejecting any action or measure that affects their rights in the Nile waters, and solidarity with Egypt and Sudan in taking what they deem necessary measures to protect their security and water interests.”