1974 Arab League summit

Last updated
Arab League Summit
Host country Morocco
DateOctober 1974
Cities Rabat
Chair King Hassan II

The 1974 Arab League summit was a meeting of Arab Leaders held in Rabat, Morocco in October 1974. Leaders of twenty Arab countries were present, including King Hussein of Jordan and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, together with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). [1] [2]

Contents

A unanimous resolution was passed which, for the first time, declared the PLO to be the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." Furthermore, the Arab League resolved that the "oil-rich Arab states ... [provide] multi-annual financial aid to the [states in confrontation with Israel] and the PLO." [3] [4]

The summit shaped the future of the conflict in several ways. First, it forced King Hussein to relinquish his claim to be able to speak for the Palestinians and to acknowledge that a future Palestinian state would have to be independent of Jordan. Second, it "weakened the American position.  [U.S. Secretary of State Henry] Kissinger agreed with the Israelis that it was preferable to negotiate with Hussein rather than with the PLO." [5] [6]

A Fatah plot to assassinate Hussein upon his arrival to the summit was uncovered by Moroccan Authorities.  [7]

See also

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References

  1. "PLO sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people - LAS Rabat Summit - resolution". Question of Palestine. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  2. "Le " sommet " de Rabat consacre le droit des Palestiniens d'établir un "pouvoir national sur tout territoire libéré". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1974-10-30. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  3. Sela, Avraham. "Arab Summit Conferences." The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East. Ed. Sela. New York: Continuum, 2002. pp. 158–160
  4. "Profile: Arab League - Timeline". BBC News. 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  5. Bickerton, Ian J., and Carla L. Klausner. A Concise History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002. p. 176
  6. Al-Bashatawi, Emad Rifa’at (2020). "Yasser Arafat's Policy Towards Jordan (1968-1974) A Study in the Palestinian-Jordan Documents". Mustansiriyah Journal of Arts. 44 (89/ القسم الأول / الإنسانيات).
  7. Shlaim 2009, p. 383.