Draft Resolution Submitted by the Japanese Delegation

THE SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM

Convinced that achieving a final and peaceful settlement of the issue of Palestine is imperative for the attainment of comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East;

Hoping that the Israelis and Palestinians will continue their efforts to peacefully establish a Palestinian state that co-exists with Israel;

Reaffirming that a just and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict must be based on such resolutions as the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, previous agreements between Israel and the PLO, the Resolution on the Middle East Peace Process adopted at the Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the APPF on January 2008, and reaffirming the United Nations recognition and support of the existence of Israel as a sovereign and independent state;

Welcoming the efforts for peace exerted by the Israel, the Palestinians and the international community since the Annapolis international conference in 2007;

Recalling G8 Leaders Statement on Counter-Terrorism in G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in July 2008;

Expressing support for the Middle East peace process and the efforts to reach a final and lasting settlement between the Israeli and the Palestinian sides as soon as possible;

Resolves to:

1.           Strongly urge both the Israeli and the Palestinian sides to enhance their efforts for keeping truce and improving humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip and in particular to continue exercising mutual self-restraint, and also strongly urge the both sides to commit themselves to the Roadmap, and the Israeli government, all parties that consist of the Palestinian Authority, and other parties concerned to take all necessary measures, in order to secure the progress for the Middle East peace process;

2.           Encourage all parties concerned to make efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; affirm again that establishment of Palestinian state, security for Israel and its border are essential factors of permanent peace; and call upon Israel and the Palestinian Authority to strive for building a proper environment for establishing a Palestinian state;

3.           Confirm that creating a viable Palestinian economy premised on tangible improvement of living standard is necessary for the building a the Palestinian state , and therefore call upon the international community to support the Palestinian Authority government and at the same time the Israeli government to freeze all settlement activities and to ease the regulation on movement concerning people and stuff;

4.     Strongly call upon the new government of the United States, Gulf nations and all APPF countries strongly to continue to extend as much support and cooperation as possible to the Middle East peace process.