Saudi Arabia reiterated Thursday its full support to the Lebanese government, its efforts to protect Lebanese interests, its independence and its sovereignty over all its territories.
Saudi Arabia also affirmed its full support to the Palestinian National Authority, its efforts to control the difficult situation in the Israeli-occupied territories because of Israeli practices; and to unifying Palestinian national decision.
This was contained in the speech of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, delivered by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Nizar bin Obaid Madani, at the emergency meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) here earlier today, which is convened to discuss Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Gaza. DR Madani heads the Kingdom's delegation to the meeting.
Addressing the committee meeting on behalf of the Kingdom, Madani thanked the Malaysian government and people for organizing this important meeting at this critical stage due to the genocide against "our brothers in Lebanon and Palestine by the Israeli tyrannical forces."
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi People and all leaders and peoples of the Islamic nation appreciate this initiative by the Malaysian government to crystallize a united stance to face this unjust war.
"Saudi Arabia is following with concern and strong condemnation the Israeli brutal aggressions against Lebanon and Palestine, which are aimed at destroying their infrastructure and violating human rights by assassinating, arresting and torturing the innocent civilians with complete disregard to international conventions and human considerations, " Dr Madani said in his address.
He added that this blunt aggression is part of a series of Israeli acts of hegemony and occupation as well as obnoxious practices in the region; and that Saudi Arabia has been warning about the consequences of these things.
"Saudi Arabia is warning the international community against the dangerous situation in the Middle East and against sliding into an atmosphere of war and violencewhose consequences cannot be anticipated especially under the international indifference in dealing with the Israeli aggressive policies.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports the Lebanese government and its efforts to protect Lebanese interests and extend its sovereignty and independence to all its territories.
Moreover, the Kingdom supports the Palestinian National Authority and its efforts to control the difficult situation in the Israeli-occupied territories due to Israeli practices and to unite the Palestinian national decision.
The Saudi stance emanates from its firm and constant support to the national authorities in Lebanon and Palestine and its keenness to exert joint Arab efforts."
Dr. Madani also said that Israeli policies have led to extremism, instability and the collapse of social security. "The Kingdom affirms that influential countries are legally and morally responsible of protecting the Lebanese people and are required to move immediately to put an end to the destructive Israeli war against Lebanon and the siege imposed on the Palestinian people and their institutions."
Again, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia warns against sliding the Middle East into war atmosphere deconstructing peace chances and opening a new circle of violence and tension whose scope is unknown to all.
Our goal is to achieve stability, and fair comprehensive peace and not to allow what is happening in Lebanon to be part of an agenda executed which does not serve the interests of Arab and Islamic nation.
Dr. Madani added that we refuse the Israeli aggressions against Lebanon which target the innocent and the infrastructure, we highly condemn them and we call to stop them immediately.
Saudi Arabia will continue its efforts with Arab and international influential powers to find a way out of this critical situation helping the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples to avoid more human and material losses.
The Kingdom also reaffirms the importance of crystallizing a united international stance to bolster the international legitimacy to face evil powers which aim at destroying the international security and peace.
Saudi Arabia believes in the right of peoples who are under occupation to resist the occupation forces in all forms and refuses its illegal measures aiming at destroying Islamic identity and changing facts on the ground.
Emanating from this, the Kingdom has supported legal Palestinian resistance that aims at fighting the military occupation as well as the Lebanese resistance until the Israeli occupation of the Southern of Lebanon ended; and today this resistance affirms that it stands against the Israeli cruel aggression against Lebanon and Palestine.
It is painful to see the Israeli forces targeting the innocent people in their shelters violating the international conventions and treaties including the International Declaration of Human Rights and Geneva Fourth Treaty which prevent attacking the civilians; pointing out that killing the innocent will result in spreading hatred and terror among people.
The massacre committed by Israel in Qana and the intention of Israeli forces to kill children, women and old people in Palestine and Lebanon resulted from the implementation of official instructions issued from the Israeli authorities. these instructions aimed at spreading fear among the Lebanese and Palestinian people in order to enforce them to emigrate from south Lebanon, west bank and Gaza strip.
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia worked on all levels in order to stop the current tragic situation. on the humanitarian level, the kingdom found that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and Palestine is disastrous especially the situation of the people held in their houses, schools and hospitals in the south where Israel concentrates its air strikes as well as the lack of food and medical supplies.
Therefore, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and Palestine requires a generous support from every Arab, Muslim and honored people.
From this point of view, the custodian of the two holy mosques is concerned that the kingdom should be the first to contribute in the efforts aimed at returning normal life to Lebanon and Palestine.
Therefore, king Abdullah directed to allocate a grant amounted to us$ 500 million for the Lebanese people to be the base for an international Arab fund to rebuild Lebanon.
King Abdullah also directed to deposit us$ 1 billion in the central Lebanese bank as a support to the Lebanese economy.
The king also directed to allocate a grant amounted to us$ 250 million for the Palestinian people to be the base for an international Arab fund to rebuild Palestine.
Moreover, the king directed to organize a public donation campaign in all regions of the kingdom for the sake of the Lebanese people under the slogan of //always with you Lebanon//.
In addition, king abdullah directed to build a complete portable field hospital in beirut as well as allocating us$ 50 million for the high commission for relief.
On the economic level, we hope that the kingdom's decision to deposit us$ 1 billion in the Lebanese central bank will have a positive effect on the cash stability in Lebanon and will raise the liquidity and assets of the central bank in foreign currency as well as sustaining the stability of the exchange rate and purchase capacity of the Lebanese and having a positive effect on the balance of payments.
On the political level, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has linked its humanitarian and economic support for Lebanon with practical steps.
Therefore, the Saudi initiative came in line with a major diplomatic move made by Saudi Arabia to support Lebanon in order to stop the war and destruction there.
The close brotherly relations between the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon started since the independence of Lebanon and passed through the Taif agreement. the kingdom's stand from the current events will represent a new phase in the brotherly relations between the two countries, enhance the resistance of the Lebanese people against the Israeli aggression, prevent Lebanon from facing an economic collapse and support the Lebanese government.
We hope that all will follow the stand of the custodian of the two holy mosques. Lebanon is in need of a strict stand that ends the savage war.
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia calls on all to act in according with honest conscience and international moral and humanitarian laws. it also warns that if the peace option is rejected due to the Israeli arrogance, then only the war option remains.
The kingdom calls on the international community to undertake their moral, humanitarian and legal responsibility to intervene strictly and immediately to stop the aggression, protect the Lebanese people and their infrastructure, force Israel to comply with the requirements of just peace and force Israel to yield to the international will and its decisions relating to the Arab Israeli conflict especially that Arabs have chosen peace and confirmed this through the Arab initiative which was approved in Beirut summit in 2002.
The kingdom believes that the slow reaction by the international community and ignoring the Israeli crimes as well as the complete support of the Israeli policies led to the hindering of the implementation of the international legitimacy's resolutions.
The countries that are responsible for building a new international system for the international relations in the 21st century must bear their responsibilities towards what is going on in Lebanon and Palestine and not to adapt double standards for political reasons that are too far from their moral value.
Although the international relations are passing through negative phenomena, it is inevitable to return to the international legitimacy and the un role.
We are looking forward that the Security Council when discussing the situation in Lebanon will show complete responsibility, will base discussions on principles of United Nations charter and on seeking to establish a firm, comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East taking into consideration stands of all parties and reached agreements.
To achieve this, it is necessary to have a comprehensive look at all dimensions of the situation in the middle east on the basis of united nations security council resolutions.
We believe that the security council has the legal and moral authority to maintain international security and peace.
Realizing the dangers threatening the region and shouldering its responsibility, the kingdom hopes that this meeting will come up with a unified and effective Arab Islamic stand under the umbrella of the organization of Islamic conference to confront the challenges facing the nation, create the mechanism necessary for the implementation of the Arab peace initiative and come up with a unified vision to protect the nation's interests, rights, historic role and standing among the nations.
The kingdom proposes that the executive committee of the organization of Islamic conference to devise a framework for movement at international arenas in line with its role in following up the implementation of summit conference resolutions especially the ten-year work program adopted by Makkah extraordinary summit. the framework should work to:
- boot the unity of the national decision in brotherly Lebanon, legitimacy of the Lebanese state and full control of the entire Lebanese soil by the state and its official national institutions.
- make Israel fully, morally, politically and materially responsible for the massacres and war crimes against the brotherly Lebanese people, institutions, construction and all elements of their life.
- unify the Arab and Islamic stands toward the Israeli aggression and those supporting it.
- be in constant touch with friendly countries which condemned the Israeli violations in Lebanon and are seriously working to pass an immediate end of the military operations.
- confront the ideological approach seeking to explode the region and incite causes of division inside its countries as is happening in brotherly Iraq and occupied Palestine and as being also attempted in Lebanon.
- stand by the brotherly Lebanese people with all Islamic countries' political and economic capabilities.
- boost the unity of the Palestinian decision and its independence, lift the financial, economic and political siege imposed on Palestinian legitimate institutions and stand by the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle for their independent state with Alquds as its capital.
In conclusion, the kingdom doesn't want the events in Lebanon to distract eyes away from the core cause of the Arab Israeli conflict, Alquds Alsharif cause.
We do not want the war by Israel against Lebanon to marginalize the conflict with the Palestinians and events in the West Bank and Gaza strip.
We do not want the savage military campaign against Lebanon to put Israel in a position enabling it to impose the borders of fait accompli in the Arab occupied territories.
It is not acceptable that the fate of the Palestinian people be decided by the result of the war launched by Israel against Lebanon and the struggle among regional and international powers in the region.
Finally, we would like to use this opportunity to call on the brothers in Lebanon, government and people, to be united in the face of the challenges of the current situation caused by the Israeli aggression against Lebanon.