Arab League Summit: Arab leaders expected to affirm Palestine as 'central Arab issue'

Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Arab leaders meeting at the 30th Arab League summit in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, are expected to issue the "Tunis Declaration" that will affirm that the question of Palestine is the central Arab issue, and that occupied East Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine.

They are also expected to affirm that a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East is an Arab option embodied in the Arab Peace Initiative.

PANA reports that the draft resolution to be presented to Arab leaders will emphasise the illegality of the US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The Declaration will also reject Israeli steps aimed at changing facts on the ground and undermining the two-state solution and declare as null and void recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan and to emphasise that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory.

It will also rejection of Iran's interference in the internal affairs of the Arab countries, and demand the withdrawal of its forces from all Arab countries.

The Tunis Declaration will also condemn attempts to link terrorism with Islam.

The draft declaration does not mention the issue of human rights in Arab countries.

Human rights group Amnesty International has in a statement asked Arab leaders to bring an end to the "widespread repression" that has become "a hallmark" of governments in the region.

It said the lack of international accountability throughout the region has meant that governments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have had free rein to imprison peaceful critics, restrict the activities of civil society or use arbitrary arrest, detention and excessive use of force against protesters demanding their rights.

“All across the MENA region, thousands of peaceful critics have been victims of relentless government violations,” said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

-0- PANA MA 31March2019