Decision on the Middle East and Palestine

EX.CL/Dec. 184 (VI) Page 1 DECISION ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND PALESTINE

Doc. EX.CL/ 145fVD

The Executive Council:

1. RECALLS all relevant resolutions and decisions adopted by the OAU/AU on the situation in the Middle East and Palestine;

2. EXPRESSES DEEP REGRET AND CONDOLENCES to the martyred people of Palestine on the untimely death of President Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestine National Authority (PNA), who selflessly devoted his life to the cause of the Palestinian people and PAYS TRIBUTE to his devotion to peace in the Middle East and the attainment of Sovereign Independence for Palestine;

3. WELCOMES the holding of democratic elections in Palestine, which enabled the people to freely elect the leadership of the PLO and Palestine National Council and WARMLY CONGRATULATES Mr. Mahmoud Abbas on his election as President of the Palestinian Authority;

4. REITERATES its continued full solidarity and support to the Palestine people in their just and legitimate struggle, under the leadership of the PLO, their sole and legitimate representative in the exercise of their inalienable national rights to self-determination and in accordance with the principle of international law and pertinent resolutions of the OAU/AU and the UN;

5. REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT for the Quartet Road Map, which remains the only viable plan for lasting peace in the Region and provides the path to a vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side, in peace and security;

6. CALLS UPON both sides to stop the vicious cycle of violence against the Palestinian and Israeli civilians, in accordance with the implementation of all peace initiatives, especially the Roadmap for Palestine Sovereign Independence;

7. STRONGLY CONDEMNS the Israeli repressive and willful practices perpetrated against defenceless Palestinians, unwarranted arrests and assassination of Palestinian leaders, the policy of total destruction and devastation of Palestinian society and infrastructure, the economy, its official and public institutions as well as the blockade on the movement of goods and persons and URGES the Government of Israel to put an end to those disproportionate retaliatory actions;

8. CALLS UPON the Government of Israel to put an end to the construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which constitutes a breach by Israel of international law and its obligations under International Humanitarian Law and URGES compliance with the July 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, so as to facilitate the resumption of peace negotiations in the region;

9. APPEALS to the International Community and the Quartet to support and work with the new Palestinian Leadership in the early implementation of the Roadmap and to undertake necessary measures including bringing pressure to bear on the Parties, in order to salvage the peace process;

10. TAKES NOTE of the initial efforts deployed by the Committee of 10 Member States on Palestine established by Decision HG/Dec. 182(XXXVIII), in July 2002, and URGES continued efforts in the quest for a peaceful and acceptable solution to the conflict in the Middle East and Palestine;

11. CALLS UPON the Government of Israel, to put an end to its occupation to the Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanese Saba Farms occupied in 1967, in accordance with the UN Security Council relevant resolutions including Resolutions 242 and 338 and the Madrid Declaration and the principle of land for peace and the Road Map in order to reach a just, comprehensive and peaceful solution of the Arab Israeli Conflict.