Moroccan king slams Arab leaders on Gaza situation

Source: Xinhua | 01-15-2009 16:42

RABAT, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- King Mohammed VI of Morocco said he will not attend in person the Arab summits due in Doha and Kuwait this week, blaming Arab leaders for squabbling on trivial matters that eclipse the situation in Palestine.

The monarch deplored the "unprecedented level" of a "depressing Arab situation," the official MAP news agency reported Thursday quoting a press release of the king's office.

The scathingly-worded press release lashed out at Arab leaders, regretting that "the mere fact of proposing the convening of an Arab summit now gives rise to squabbling and outbidding tactics, even disputes between Arab countries," which eclipse the vital causes of the Ummah, particularly the Palestinian question.

Qatar has recently called for an extraordinary summit to examine the situation in Gaza, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia refused to attend, saying they can look into the matter on the sidelines of the Arab economic summit due on Saturday in Kuwait.

During the 19-day-old brutal Israeli offensive on Gaza, over 1,030 were killed and nearly 5,000 were injured.

The sovereign denounced what he called attempts to secure "exclusive leadership," of the Arab world or "create specific axes or zones of influence."

The press release bluntly said that regardless of the external aggression, the problem lies with the Arabs themselves, "therefore any solution to the problem is to start with them," it said, calling for settling inter-Arab problems.

Solving the Arab-Israeli conflict "requires a precise Arab strategy, efficient and rational action, concrete solidarity as well as a unified stance and the rejection of divisions and narrow interests.

The monarch underlined that the tragic situation in Gaza is calling out to the conscience of the Arab nation and the entire humanity.

Editor:Zhang Yun