Arab League concludes summit, adopts Jeddah Declaration

The Arab League concluded its 32nd summit with the adoption of the Jeddah Declaration that reaffirmed the need for unity to achieve security and stability.

The summit, which discussed various topics including the Palestinian Israeli conflict, developments in Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Lebanon, convened in Jeddah and saw Syria’s participation for the first time in over a decade.

On the Palestinian-Israeli cause, the declaration reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and reiterated Palestine’s right “to absolute authority over all territories occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem.”

It also voiced the importance of “activating the Arab Peace Initiative” which the Kingdom proposed and the League endorsed in 2002.

Israel-Palestinian violence has been intensifying for months, with frequent Israeli military raids and settler violence in the West Bank amid a spate of Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Since January, more than 140 Palestinians and at least 19 Israelis and foreigners have been killed in the West Bank and Israel.

Regarding the situation in Sudan where fighting has raged between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15, the declaration rejected “foreign interferences that inflame the conflict and threaten regional security and stability,” and urged dialogue and unity among the warring sides.

The conflict has displaced an estimated 843,000 people within Sudan and put around 250,000 to flight into neighboring countries, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday. Last week, US-Saudi mediated talks between the two sides in Jeddah made a slight breakthrough after signing an agreement that commits to protecting Sudanese civilians.

Regarding Syria, the bloc welcomed its return to the bloc following years of isolation and voiced hope that this move will contribute “to Syria’s stability and unity.”

“[We] must intensify Arab efforts to help Syria resolve its crisis,” the declaration said.

The 22-member bloc suspended Syria in November 2011 over al-Assad’s deadly crackdown on protests which spiraled into a conflict that has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions.

On Yemen, the declaration reaffirmed support to all international and regional efforts that aim to reach a political solution to the crisis.

The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions dependent on international aid. A UN-brokered ceasefire that started in April 2022 has sharply reduced casualties. The truce expired in October, but fighting has largely remained on hold.

On Lebanon, it urged authorities to resume efforts to elect a president, form a cabinet “as soon as possible,” and carry out economic reforms to overcome the current crisis.

Lebanon has been mired since 2019 in an economic crisis that the World Bank has dubbed one of the worst in modern history. A caretaker cabinet with limited powers has been at the helm since May last year after legislative polls gave no side a clear majority to elect a new president.

The bloc also voiced its rejection of “foreign interferences” in Arab countries’ internal affairs.

“[We] completely reject supporting the formation of armed militias… [and warn] that internal military conflicts will only aggravate people’s suffering,” it said.