United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced on Sunday in a press gathering with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that she supports the Saudi Peace Plan as it is. Rice said that the plan, which was initially suggested by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah in 2002, could be implemented without any changes.
Israel has objected to various parts of the plan, which calls for a complete Israeli withdrawal to the 1948 armistice line in exchange for official recognition of Israel by Arab powers. In particular, Israeli politicians have objected to the plan’s call for the “right of return,” under which any Arab who ever lived in Israel and all of their descendants would be granted automatic citizenship. They argue that the “right of return” is meant to destroy Israel as a Jewish state, and that it goes against an earlier promise by United States President George Bush, who called for all Arabs wishing to live in Israel to move to Palestinian Authority controlled areas instead.
Israel has objected to various parts of the plan, which calls for a complete Israeli withdrawal to the 1948 armistice line in exchange for official recognition of Israel by Arab powers. In particular, Israeli politicians have objected to the plan’s call for the “right of return,” under which any Arab who ever lived in Israel and all of their descendants would be granted automatic citizenship. They argue that the “right of return” is meant to destroy Israel as a Jewish state, and that it goes against an earlier promise by United States President George Bush, who called for all Arabs wishing to live in Israel to move to Palestinian Authority controlled areas instead.