Saudi King Underlines Kingdom’s Firm Stance on Palestinian Cause

Gulf

January 29th, 6:10am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz telephoned on Tuesday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to underscore Saudi Arabia’s firm position on the Palestinian cause. This stance has been unchanged since the reign of the Kingdom’s founder, King Abdulaziz, and until today, he stressed. Riyadh stands by the Palestinian people and supports their choices, he added. For his part, Abbas expressed his gratitude to King Salman and his keenness on the Palestinian cause. US President Donald Trump unveiled on Tuesday his long-awaited Middle East peace plan. He proposed the creation of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem, in an effort to achieve a breakthrough. The Saudi Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, voiced its backing for all efforts aimed at reaching a fair and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It said that since the reign of King Abdulaziz and until today, Saudi Arabia has exerted pioneering efforts in championing the brotherly Palestinian people. It has stood by their side at all international arenas in their efforts to obtain their legitimate rights. Among these efforts were its launch of the 2002 Arab peace initiative, which clearly underscored that the military solution to the conflict did not achieve peace or stability to either of the parties. “Fair and comprehensive peace is the strategic choice,” stated the ministry. Saudi Arabia “appreciates the efforts exerted by the Trump administration in developing a comprehensive peace plan between the Palestinians and Israelis,” it continued. “It encourages them to kick off direct peace negotiations under US sponsorship and tackle any disputes over the peace proposal in order to push the peace process forward to reach an agreement that achieves the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” it added.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2104601/saudi-king-underlines-kingdom%E2%80%99s-firm-stance-palestinian-cause