PACE calls upon Arab and Muslim leaders to learn from the defunct Annapolis Conference of 27th Nov. 2007

Assalamualaikum,

Perhaps there was no better day than April fool's day for Israeli newly appointed foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman to disclose that the Annapolis Conference convened on the 27th November 2007 was not valid! For those who have short memory, Annapolis Conference was that pompous event that brought together no less than 50 Arab and muslim leaders to meet up with their so called 'peace partners' - Israel, the US and the EU to draw up a comprehensive understanding towards building a lasting peaceful settlement in Palestine. The expiry date for the Annapolis resolutions to be implemented (whatever that means) was 1st January 2009. Alas! nobody would even notice the deadline, nor would they ever care, because on that date, the world's attention was all drawn to the Israeli pulverization of Gaza with phosphorous bombs and indiscrimate shellings of defenseless, beseiged, economically stragulated and literally straved Gazans population.

The Arab and the muslim leaders have placed such high hopes in the Annapolis Conference, so much so that even Saudi was represented for the first time ever in a meeting with Israel in the latter's 60 years of illegitimate existence. These leaders could be excused if the Annapolis Conference was the first such peace arrangment to have taken place. But Annapolis was just another of those so-called peace negotiotions with Israel that was literally a sell off of the Palestinian cause. These gullible leaders have been shortchanged at Oslo, Camp David I and II, Sharm-ul-Syeikh, Taba, and scores of other peace arrangments and they keep conceding more lands in exchange for an elusive peace with the zionist, the usurpers of Palestinian rights and nationhood. Whatmore, in the most unceremonious move, the zionist regime pledged that it will expand the jewish settlement activities in the West Bank and East Baitulmaqdis right after the conclusion of the Annapolis Conference.

Arabs and muslim leaders must draw a long overdue lesson from this disclosure by Lieberman. They should not let themselves playing to the tunes of the zionist agenda that aims for nothing but an indefinite occupation of Palestine and a complete dispossesion of her people. PACE calls upon every leader of the Arab and the muslim countries to act in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to adopt a common principle that honours the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people on their homeland with Baitul Maqdis as the capital, towards self realization and freedom from occupation. Any attempts at peace that does not address these national constants has no standing whatsoever with the Palestinian people and is completely unacceptable to every peace longing parties.

Assoc Prof Dr Hafidzi Mohd Noor
Director
PACE