President Al-Alimi Speech to Arab League Summit in Bahrain

  Manama

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful”

Dear brother, Your Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, President of the Thirty-Third Arab League Summit,

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,,

Your Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States,

Your Excellencies and Excellencies,

Allow me, at the outset, to express my sincere gratitude to the brotherly Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of my brother, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and his Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad, for the generous hosting of this summit, and the good organization.

I also extend my thanks and appreciation to my brother, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and his Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for the efforts they made during the Kingdom’s presidency of the previous session, and their fruitful efforts in unifying the word and position alongside the Palestinian people, and strengthening the work of the Joint Arab Action at a difficult stage in the history of our nation.

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,

This summit is being held in extremely complex Arab circumstances, with the criminal war of the brutal Israeli occupation continuing for the seventh month against the resistant and patient Palestinian people. The Palestinian people who are awaiting courageous decisions from this meeting to end their suffering and realize their aspirations to establish their independent, fully sovereign state.

There is no doubt that holding two Arab summits on the Palestinian issue within six months is a strong message of support for the struggle of the Palestinian people, and a confirmation of the solidarity of our peoples and governments and their full commitment to defending their legitimate rights.

From this platform, the Republic of Yemen reiterates its firm and principled historical position alongside the Palestinian people, and their cause, which has been, and will remain, the first central issue for the Yemeni people, even in light of the conditions of compelling war imposed by the terrorist Houthi militias with the support of the Iranian regime.

We also affirm that the unity of all Palestinian components and forces under its legitimate umbrella, the Palestine Liberation Organization, is the best guarantee to strengthen steadfastness, reduce the cost, and prevent compromising the pain of its people and their just cause.

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,

This ordeal has confirmed that Arab solidarity and effective diplomacy are ideal options to confront the occupying forces, tyranny and racism, which resort to excessive violence to escape facing the truth, whenever there are any opportunities for just and comprehensive peace on the horizon.

This was demonstrated through the efforts of the ministerial committee emerging from the Arab Islamic Summit led by the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which resulted in unprecedented international solidarity alongside the Palestinian people. Including the historic resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, which recognizes the eligibility of the State of Palestine for full membership in the international organization. 

It is a matter of satisfaction that this collective Arab diplomatic effort continues in various forums. Along with the good endeavors of the brothers in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar, to contain the brutality of the Israeli aggression, hoping that this capable mediation will lead to a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, and alleviate the horror of the tragedy.

While we highly value these efforts and good endeavors, building on what has been achieved so far is extremely important, starting with imposing regional and international recognition of the Palestinian state and its full membership in the United Nations as a de facto. In addition to calling for the convening of an international peace conference that will lead to an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the rest of the ccupied Arab Republic lands in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Here I am to remind you of the importance of distinguishing well between these stances and responsible official support efforts that aim to find real solutions to the issue of the Palestinian people, and attempts to opportunistically jump on the plight in order to achieve expansionist political gains in the region. In addition to claim imaginary heroism that has contributed to nothing but harming the interests, economies and national security of our peoples and diverting international attention away from the hell of occupation in the Palestinian territories.

Your Majesties, Excellencies, and Highnesses,

Ladies and gentlemen,,

The Yemeni war, which was sparked by the Houthi militias supported by the Iranian regime ten years ago, will remain one of the biggest challenges to the Arab countries and the interests of their people.

This is because the risks associated with the practices of these militias will not end with threatening the security of international navigation and the freedom of global trade, but rather will destabilize the security and stability of the region. These risks will thwart any opportunity to develop our countries, exchange benefits, and spread knowledge among their peoples, as the decisions of this summit hope.

I am fully aware of the warnings raised by some about not to criticize any action directed against the brutal Israeli occupation. But I am talking here about a rogue group among our people, which does not have the moral standing to defend just causes. It is the one that caused the death of more than half a million of our people, displacing more than four million others, besieging cities, confiscating property, bombing hundreds of places of worship and homes, and flooding the country with the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Today, it continues to escape from entitlement to peace, and paying employees’ salaries, to the option of war and bragging about targeting oil installations and international shipping lines, which harmed the Palestinian issue and turned it into a source of threat to the region and the world. The issue that was and will remain a basis for a solution, and an inspiring story of struggle for freedom and peace.

Despite all this, we affirm in the Presidential Leadership Council and the government our commitment to the just peace option based on the terms of reference of the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, and the resolutions of international legitimacy, especially Resolution 2216. In addition to the positive engagement with the efforts of the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman in accordance with the road map aimed at launching a comprehensive political process under the auspices of the United Nations.

When talking about the dangers of the absence of joint collective action, it is sufficient to learn from the Yemeni case how terrorist militias can cause severe harm to the region and the entire world when a single Arab country is left vulnerable to hostile interventions that harm the nation, its identity, and its national states.

Therefore, we must be careful not to subject our crucial issues to timely estimations, while these interventions in our internal affairs continue, because the danger could attack our countries one after another.

Based on this experience, we have no choice to confront our common challenges, except by confronting the project of targeting the national Arab state and deterring Iranian interference in our internal affairs through its proxy militias.

The situation also requires increased coordination to combat extremism and terrorism, end internal disputes, wars and internal divisions. Invest in our latent resources to reduce unemployment and illiteracy, improve livelihood opportunities, and share the bounties of development, knowledge, and modern technologies.

In conclusion, we are confident that this Summit will be the “Summit of Wisdom,” chaired by my brother, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa, to represent an important shift in the path of joint Arab action. Inspired by this dear country’s wise management of challenges, and its unique success in fortifying its internal front and defending its Arab national patriot identity as an example to be followed.

 

“Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah,,