Moussa appeals for Arab unity

Khaled Al-Mahdi, Arab News

SANAA: Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa began yesterday a regional tour in response to the call made last month by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for Arab unity and solidarity.

Moussa paid a one-day visit to Sanaa in the first leg of the tour that would take him also to Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in an effort to heal the rifts among Arabs exposed by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

“This tour is intended to discuss ways to revive the Arab solidarity in light of the call made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah during the Kuwait summit,” Moussa told reporters. During the Kuwait summit last month, Abdullah urged Arab leaders to open a new era of Arab unity and solidarity. The king said Arab disunity and dissension were aiding the treacherous Israeli enemy and those who seek to disunite the Arabs for their regional objectives.

He told Palestinians that their internal dispute is more threatening to their cause than the Israeli invasion. After a brief meeting with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Moussa warned of a “dangerous situation” the Arab world is going through and called for mending the split between the Arab states.

“The Arab world is going through a dangerous situation and the current Arab split affects every aspect,” Moussa said. “We have to contain this situation, and we will work to reach this target in the coming summit (in Doha).”

Arab nations were mired in rifts last month over how to deal with the Israeli attacks on Gaza, with some nations calling for tough action but others opting for a more moderate approach.