King Abdullah II's Speech in Aspen Colorado

Amman
30 July 2002

His Majesty King Abdullah II Tuesday said that time has come to realize peace and justice and bring in hope for both the Palestinians and Israelis through a just and comprehensive peace that would end Israeli occupation and that will meet the needs of both parties. "For the Palestinians, an end to (Israeli) occupation and the establishment of a democratic state. For Israel, genuine security.

'These are compatible, indeed complementary needs," King Abdullah said in a speech delivered at conference organized by the U.S. Fortune Foundation at Aspen, Colorado.

King Abdullah stressed the need for an immediate action and to move quickly to translate President Bush's vision for peace in the Middle East. "The President has set a timeline of three years to achieve the goal of establishing the Palestinian state. I think we need to expedite this target so that the Israeli occupation can end sooner," His Majesty said.

King Abdullah, who, accompanied with Her Majesty Queen Rania, started a visit to the United States and will meet President George Bush on Thursday, called for a comprehensive solution that also embraces the Syrian and Lebanese tracks. "We must also find a comprehensive settlement that will address the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, in order to finally bring an end to this tragic saga," the King said.

While stressing the U.S. central role in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, King Abdullah said "the Arab trust of the U.S. influence remains rather low." "This is the all the more reason for the U.S. to show its commitment to fairness and freedom, and lead the way to peace," the King added.

However, King Abdullah said " Salvation will not come from outside. Both the Arabs and Israelis must realize that their fate is in their hands. If they do not stop before the abyss, nobody will do it for them."