By Ulises Canales, Prensa Latina
Damascus : Arab nations urged Israel to immediately end the blockade and aggressions against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and slammed terrorism, although vindicated the right to defend themselves.
“All countries must be united to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza,” stated the Damascus declaration, summarizing the main issues of the 20th Arab League Summit that concluded today in this capital.
The document, read by the League”s general secretary Amr Moussa, ratified the Palestinians rights to have an independent state with eastern Jerusalem as a capital, and requested the return of all refugees.
Moussa reiterated a request to Tel Aviv to return all territories seized to Arab countries in June 1967, particularly the Syrian Golan heights and a part of southern Lebanon.
The Arab leader also spoke out for defending and preserving the Arab and Islamic identity of Iraq, and favored an extensive Iraqi consensus to withdraw all foreign troops from that country.
The Arab League asked those who they called “Iraqi resistance brothers” to end armed actions and achieve agreement and national reconciliation.
Also included is the Arab initiative to solve the Lebanese crisis, urging all political forces to work together for the neighboring nation”s stability, development and unity.
The Summit”s president and Syrian Head of State Bashar Al-Assad said that debates “were far from flattering words,” but boosted the Arab states” unity above differences, for a joint action.