RIYADH: The Arab Peace Initiative, which is among the most significant diplomatic proposals of our time, has offered a fair and practical road map to Middle East peace for more than two decades.
Recent events, especially the escalation of the crisis in Gaza, have ensured that the principles of the initiative are more relevant now than ever. As Saudi Arabia leads new global initiatives, including a conference in June this year it will co-chair with France to discuss the Palestinian issue and a two-state solution, the API remains both a moral obligation and a practical plan for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Proposed by Saudi Arabia and endorsed by the Arab League in 2002, the API was first revealed by then-Crown Prince (later King) Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in a conversation with journalist Thomas Friedman. In a New York Times column on Feb. 17, 2002, Friedman recounted Abdullah asking if he had “broken into my desk” after publishing a column days earlier suggesting an Arab peace plan. Abdullah then confirmed he had a speech prepared “along those lines” and was considering delivering it before the Arab League Summit in Beirut to “mobilize the entire Arab world behind it.”
The API calls for a return by Israel to its 1967 borders, the establishment of a Palestinian state, and a just solution for Palestinian refugees, in exchange for normalization of relations between Arab states and Israel.
How we wrote it
Arab News’ front page featured the day Saudi Arabia’s Arab Peace Initiative received “unanimous endorsement” from Arab leaders at Beirut Summit.
At its core, the initiative represents a willingness to compromise in the name of Arab unity and peace; it promises justice and sovereignty for Palestinians while giving Israel a historic opportunity to seek regional acceptance.
Israel’s continuing rejection of the proposal, and refusal even to take it seriously, is a critical missed opportunity. It has only deepened the cycle of mistrust and violence, making the prospect of peace and stability even more difficult to achieve.
The deepening crisis in Gaza reveals the urgent need for diplomacy. Ongoing violence, mass displacement and humanitarian catastrophe have pushed the region to its limits. Neighborhoods are in ruins, infrastructure is destroyed, and too many lives have been lost.
Saudi Arabia, as chair of the Joint Arab-Islamic Committee on Gaza, has been on the front lines of this humanitarian catastrophe. At the same time, it has continued to seek a political solution. The Kingdom has made clear its view that lasting peace in Gaza, and throughout the region, requires the root causes of the conflict are addressed, including the occupation and the denial of Palestinian sovereignty.
Riyadh’s commitment to peace was evident even before the conflict in Gaza escalated. In 2022, for example, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League organized round table discussions between members of the API Committee, and other interested parties from around the world, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the initiative.
Key Dates
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1
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chair Yasser Arafat sign Oslo II Accord in Washington, D.C.
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2
During the Beirut Summit, at the height of the Second Intifada, Arab League leaders endorse the Arab Peace Initiative, proposed by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, which offers normalization of relations with Israel in exchange for an independent Palestinian state.
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3
Leaders of Arab League nations reaffirm commitment to the API during Riyadh Summit.
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4
Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians resume in Washington for the first time in nearly two years after Israel’s aggression in Gaza but end with no agreement.
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5
On the heels of US President Donald Trump’s “Plan for Peace,” the Abraham Accords normalize relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, in exchange for a halt to planned annexation of the West Bank. Sudan and Morocco later sign up to the accords.
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6
During an extraordinary summit in Riyadh, Arab League and other Islamic countries reaffirm support for an independent Palestinian state amid the war in Gaza, and stress important need to activate the API.
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7
Arab leaders adopt a $53 billion Egyptian plan for reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of the population, setting out a path forward after Israel’s devastating war on the territory.
Building on this, Saudi Arabia joined forces with the Arab League, the EU, Egypt and Jordan in 2023 to launch the Peace Day Effort. This reaffirmed the principles of the API and called on the international community to take meaningful steps toward achieving a two-state solution to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. The aim of these discussions was to breathe new life into the API and reaffirm it as the foundation for Arab and Islamic efforts to achieve peace, and the starting point for future negotiations.
The lack of progress toward a political solution highlights the urgent need for fresh dialogue. To that end Saudi Arabia and France will, as noted above, co-chair an international conference at the UN in New York in June. Supported by the EU, Norway and other global partners, it aims to focus on efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue and promote a two-state solution, underscoring the renewed commitment of the world to the principles of justice and peace, and to the vision of the API.
The enduring power of the API lies in its balance and fairness. It offers Israel a chance for regional security and integration, while guaranteeing dignity and statehood for the Palestinian people. Its principles, rooted in international law and the frameworks of the UN, remain the most practical foundation for peace.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a reminder of what happens when the world fails to act. Unless the fundamental issues of occupation and Palestinian self-determination are addressed, peace will remain out of reach.
Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who became King in 2005, first revealed the Arab Peace Initiative to journalist Thomas Friedman before presenting it at the Beirut Arab Summit in 2002. AFP
Realizing the vision of the API will require bold and deliberate action. Firstly, Arab countries must reaffirm their commitment to the initiative and resist normalization deals that circumvent Palestinian rights.
Secondly, the international community must actively support initiatives such as the Peace Day Effort, and hold Israel accountable for illegal settlement expansions and violations of international law.
Thirdly, Israel must understand that true security comes not from military rule and occupation, but from justice, coexistence and mutual respect.
The API is more than a mere diplomatic framework, it is a testament to the power of compromise and diplomacy. From the response by Saudi Arabia to the Gaza crisis to the country’s role as co-chair of the upcoming conference in June, the Kingdom’s leadership role reflects the world’s renewed commitment to this vision for peace.
The principles of the Arab Peace Initiative — two states, mutual recognition and a shared future — are as relevant and valid now as they were in 2002. But time is running out. With each act of violence and each missed opportunity, we move further from peace.
The world must act now to prioritize justice and peace. The API offers a clear path forward but only if we choose to follow it. History will judge whether we had the courage to seize this moment or let the vision fade.
- Dr. Khaled Manzlawiy is assistant secretary-general for international political affairs at the Arab League.
