Arab Leaders Call for Charging "Israel" with War Crimes

 
Source: Al-Manar TV, 20-1-2009
A few hours after an Arab "reconciliation" meeting on the sidelines of the Kuwait Summit announced the launching of a new "era" in inter-Arab relations, Arab leaders had to face the first "challenge" represented by the summit's recommendations, mainly over "Israel"'s war on Gaza.
But the final statement came too "general" since the summit participants contented themselves with holding "Israel" criminally and civilly responsible for the Gaza aggression. The Arab leaders also called for charging the Zionist entity with war crimes and exclude Arab economies from political influences.
They pledged "all forms of support for the reconstruction of Gaza" but failed to set up a specific fund for the war-battered Palestinian enclave. The leaders of the 22-member Arab League, meeting in Kuwait, said they would "provide all forms of support for the reconstruction of Gaza" but made no reference to a mechanism for reconstruction. Arab leaders "welcome all contributions pledged so far by Arab countries," they said in a final statement read out by Arab League chief Amr Mussa.
Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari had earlier said that the Arab Foreign Ministers who were tasked with formulating the summit's final statement had failed to reach a consensus. "We held a closed-door session to discuss the final statement on Gaza ... We have not reached a conclusion because of time constraints and some positions," Zebari told Kuwait Television, without giving details. "Under these circumstances, it is supposed that all should make concessions for the sake of Arab reconciliation ... Efforts are still being made to hammer out a united position," Zebari said.
For his part, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Meqdad said: "Realistically speaking, there are differences among Arab brothers."
Meanwhile, Al-Manar correspondent reported that Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal withdrew from the FMs meeting before reaching consensus on the final statement. The decision was, therefore, referred to the top leaders.
On Monday, the summit was marked by a reconciliation lunch during which the Saudi King gathered leaders of Egypt, Syria, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. A Syrian well-informed source told Al-Manar that the meeting was frank and sincere. He noted that the reconciliation meeting constitutes a first step towards discussing various Arab issues in an attempt to reach common principles.