BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 11 (UPI) -- Israel's war with Lebanon shows the value of the Arab Peace Initiative, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora wrote in an opinion piece published Friday.
While an Israeli commission criticized the government's handling of the war last summer, the report from the Winograd Commission "failed to draw the most essential lesson from the July war and the wars that preceded it: military action does not give the people of Israel security. On the contrary, it compromises it," Sinioa wrote in The New York Times.
The Arab Peace Initiative would recognize Israel in exchange for a retreat to its 1967 borders.
"The Arab states are not seeking to wipe Israel off the map. Rather, we are seeking the legitimate goals of an armistice, secure borders and the ability of all of the region's people to live in peace and security," Sinioa wrote.
The United States has a responsibility to help the two sides reach agreement, Sinioa wrote.
"The people of the Middle East aspire simply to live in freedom and dignity, without constant threats of violence, occupation and war. This is achievable if we demonstrate political will and learn the harsh lessons from the past," Sinioa wrote.
