Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' speech at Kuwait economic summit highly welcomed, praised

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz brought together some Arab leaders after initiative in summit

Palestinian president values Saudi Arabia's assistance to rebuild Gaza

Reconciliation initiative brings about air of optimism in region, world

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at his residence at Bayan Palace in Kuwait on Tuesday King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria, Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar, Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait, and President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

During the audience, the Kings and Presidents welcomed the contents of the speech delivered on Tuesday by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the opening session of the Arab Economic, Developmental and Social Summit - the Summit of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Gaza.

The Leaders discussed issues on the agenda of the summit. Then, the Kings and Presidents had lunch with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

A number of high-ranking officials and dignitaries have highly appreciated the donation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud worth USD1000 million in contribution to Gaza reconstruction.

They include Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Chairman of Palestinian National Authority; Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad; Qatari Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani; Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Ali, President of the Islamic Development Bank; and Majority leader in Lebanese Parliament Saad Al-Hariri.

A number of high-ranking officials and dignitaries have highly valued the speech delivered by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Kuwait economic summit, with emphasis on his donation worth USD1000 million in contribution to Gaza reconstruction.

They include a number of Tunisian, Sudanese, Mauritanian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Kuwaiti, Yemeni and Pakistani press.

Also lauding the king's speech and donation were Abdulwahab Derbal, Chief of Arab League mission to the European Union in Brussels; Yemen's Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information Yonis Hazza'a; Yemen's Minister of Information Hassan Al-Lozy; Hisham Nazer, Saudi Ambassador to Egypt; Sidi Mohammed Wild Mohammed, Leader of Republican Party for Democracy and Renovation of Mauritania; Dr. Mansour bin Suleiman Al-Saeed, Undersecretary of King Saud University for Higher Studies and Scientific Research; John Holmz, UN Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs; Dr. Imad Sha'at, Palestine Consul General in Jeddah; Lebanon's Minister of State and Member of the Future Movement Bloc at the Lebanese Parliament Jann O'gaspian; Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al-Gozo, Mufti of Jebel Lebnan; Dr. Mufeed Shihab, Minister of Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Councils; and Abdullah Ali Masar, Advisor to Sudanese President.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain commended the speech of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the summit. The Bahraini King said that the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has drawn the road for the Arab nation and set the appropriate ways of cohesion and surpassing differences among Arab countries.

During its ordinary 67th session under the chairmanship of its Deputy Chairman Dr. Bandar bin Mohammad Hamzah Hajjar, the Shoura Council praised the historic speech delivered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the opening session of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit, called summit of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, ongoing in Kuwait, in which the monarch called for overcoming the disputes and reopening the door for Arab fraternity and unity for all Arabs.

In a statement released by Dr. Hajjar, the Shoura Council also commended the generous support announced in Kuwait summit meeting by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in contribution by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the reconstruction of the damages sustained by the crimes of the Israeli occupation of Gaza Strip.

The meeting also approved the annual report of the Ministry of Water and Electricity for the year 1426/1427 H., reports on the steps taken in implementation of programs and projects of the 7th Development Plan (1420/1425 H), and on the first year (1425/1426 H) of the 8th Development Plan (1425/1430 H).

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Dr. Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja praised the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at Kuwait Summit.

In a press statement, the Ambassador said that "King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is always keen on the issues of Arab and Islamic nation".

"The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed the keenness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reunify the Arab rank", he said.

The Ambassador expressed optimism about the future of Arab joint action in the next phase, based on the keenness of the King and Arab leaders to turn the page on the differences and open the doors of reconciliation.

King Abdullah had announced in Saudi Arabia that the Saudi people will donate 1000 million US dollars for the reconstruction of Gaza.

He also announced, on behalf of the Arab Leaders, surpassing the stage of disagreement, opening the door of Arab brotherhood and unity for all Arabs without exception or reservation, facing the future, rejecting differences, and standing together as a solid cemented structure.

He cited Almighty Allah as saying in the Holy Quran ( And fall into no disputes, lets ye lose heart and your power depart).

The remarks of the King came in his speech delivered at the inaugural session of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (the Summit of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Gaza).

The following is the text of the King's speech:

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon the last of Prophets and Messengers.

Your Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Emir of the State of Kuwait, Chairman of the Summit, Honorable audience, Peace and Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you.

We and the peoples of the Arab nation hope that, Allah willing, this economic summit will produce clear results, promising a future of security and prosperity for every Arab and Muslim across the world.

But, whatever the importance of the economy might be, it can neither equal life itself nor dignity without which life is not worth living. We have witnessed over the past days bloody, painful and brutal scenes and genocide being carried out by a criminal, inhuman, and merciless gang as the world listened and watched. The murderers and their supporters forgot that the Torah said "an eye for an eye"; the Torah did not say "an eye for the eyes of a whole town."

Israel must realize that the choice between peace and war will not be available all the time, and that the Arab Initiative on the table today will not be on the table for ever.

Dear brothers, we salute Gaza's martyrs, heroes, and steadfast resistance, and salute those who exerted efforts and thoughts to stem the bloodshed, especially our brothers in Egypt under the leadership of our brother President Hosni Mubarak. Here, honesty entails that we say to our brothers in Palestine that their division is more dangerous to their cause than the Israeli aggression and I would like to remind them of the fact that Allah has linked victory to unity and defeat to dispute when he said "And hold fast all together by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves."

My brothers, leaders of the Arab states…

I have to be candid and honest with myself and you, and say that our political disputes have led us to division and dispersion of our will. These disputes have helped and are still helping our treacherous Israeli enemy and whoever seeks to sow division of the Arab ranks and take full advantage of promoting his regional goals at the expense of our unity, dignity and aspirations.

We, leaders of Arab states, with no exception of any of us, are fully responsible for the current weakness in our position. I plead to you in the name of Allah and then in the name the martyrs, children, women and men; in the name of the blood unjustly shed in Palestine, in the name of dignity, in the name of our peoples who have despaired; I plead to you to overcome our wounds and divisions and to discredit our enemy's opinions about us and to take up a dignified position which history will not forget and of which our nation will be proud.

Hence, allow me to announce on behalf of all of us that we have passed over our division and that we have opened the door for an Arab fraternity and unity for all Arabs with no exception or reservation and that we will face the future renouncing our differences as one solid cemented structure, holding fast to the Holy verse "Fall into no dispute, Lest ye lose heart and your power depart".

Dear brothers, before I conclude my speech, and on behalf of your brothers the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I announce the contribution of USD1000 million to the summit-proposed Gaza reconstruction program, realizing at the same time that a single drop of Palestinian blood is far more precious than the treasures of the earth.

May God's peace and blessings be upon you all.