Riyadh: Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit affirmed that lasting regional peace and coexistence cannot be achieved without ending the Israeli occupation and settlement activity in Palestinian territories within the 1967 borders, including east Jerusalem. He stressed that Israel's belief in attaining normalization and coexistence without ending the occupation and achieving peace with the Palestinians is an illusion.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the secretary-general presented -- alongside European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka ‚¬Å¡¬¦ uica -- the final outcomes of the working group on 'Peace Day Efforts,' co-chaired by the Arab League and the European Union. Aboul Gheit's remarks came during his participation in a dialogue session presenting the outcomes of the working groups of the High-Level International Conference on 'The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,' held at UN headquarters in New York City.
Aboul Gheit highlighted the constructive commitments and contributions made by several countries, international and regional organizations, and civil-society groups as part of the "Peace Day Efforts," alongside the EU-sponsored "Peace Supporting Package," which could be offered to Palestinians, Israelis, and the region if the two-state solution is implemented and an independent, sovereign, and viable Palestinian state is established. He stressed that the core of this vision was proposed 23 years ago through the Arab Peace Initiative, without any response from Israel.