SAUDI ARABIA OFFERS POSITION PAPER ON THE PEACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 007837 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/FO FOR A/S DWELCH, PDAS JJEFFREY, AND DAS GGRAY NEA/ARP FOR BSHUKAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2016 TAGS: PREL IS SA SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA OFFERS POSITION PAPER ON THE PEACE PROCESS Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission David Rundell for reasons E.O 12958 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) During Secretary Rice's October 2 visit to Jeddah, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal provided the following position paper on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to NEA Assistant Secretary Welch. ¶2. (C) Begin Text: Position Paper On the Peace Process October 2006 The dangerous implications of not moving decisively to reach a peaceful, comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can hardly be overestimated. These implications will not be confined to the states of the region. The accumulation of crises and tensions in the region can only encourage an environment in which extremism and terrorism will thrive, with all the dangerous and undesired consequences which this holds. On the other hand, reviving the peace process by rapidly addressing final status issues is the only path to change profoundly the prevalent feelings of despair and frustration, and to replace them with a sense of hope and a positive outlook on a better future for all of us. Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict must be placed into its appropriate context by reconciling the rights of the Palestinian and the Israeli people and establishing two neighboring states enjoying security as a natural outcome of peace. It is peace that assures security, and not the other way around. The basis for a solution are clear to all of us, and it was expressed by the president of the United States is his two-state vision, which is in harmony with previous UN resolutions and with the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted unanimously by 22 Arab states. What is missing and urgently needed today is to link this vision with a clear agenda bound to a specific time frame. Regrettably, the problem was portrayed as inextricably complicated and not amenable to customary solutions. Using security considerations as a pretext, exceptional provisions allowed one of the parties involved in the conflict to specify unilaterally the basis and conditions for negotiations, to choose his negotiating partner, to violate previously concluded agreements, and to impose unilateral measures. Our purpose here is not to enter into futile debates, but it is important to recognize that the peace process has suffered greatly from these exceptions that create double standards and imbalanced obligations. Reviving the peace process requires serious international cooperation. Recent events have again proven that military solutions can achieve nothing but the undermining of the interests and security of all parties; it is therefore essential that we learn the lessons of our previous failures in the pursuit of peace. These failures resulted from an exaggerated emphasis on procedural and provisional issues. The establishment of interim security arrangements proved complicated and exhausting, while the procedures for building mutual trust practically enabled enemies of peace to undermine the peace process in its entirety. What is required from us today is a fundamental change in our approach towards achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the area. It is absolutely essential that we go to the root of the conflict and the heart of the problem, by establishing an effective mechanism to ensure immediate peaceful negotiations that will address all aspects of the final status, including Jerusalem, borders, refugees and mutual security arrangements. The required breakthrough can only be achieved by a comprehensive agreement. In this regard we need to re-affirm the reference principles of the peace process based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy, the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the vision of a two states solution, create an effective mechanism for direct negotiations based on these principles, set a time table for reaching a final solution, and establish effective supervision and monitoring. In addition, the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinians has reached dangerously unacceptable levels, which necessitates establishing an urgent assistance program to the Palestinian Authority. The policies of boycott and economic blockade are seen by the Palestinians as a form of collective punishment which defeats our joint purpose and only encourages more extremism. End Text. OBERWETTER