Deal firmly with Israel: Saudi Arabia

November 29, 2017 10:03 pm | Updated 10:03 pm IST - NEW DELHI

Calling upon the international community to deal ‘firmly’ with Israel, the envoy of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said self-determination of the Palestinians was “top priority” for his country.

Speaking at an event at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati called for an early resumption of dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians and pushed for the creation of a free state of Palestine with Al Quds or Jerusalem as the capital.

“The international community needs to deal firmly with Israel to compel it to stop building on occupied Palestinian territories and halt violations against the Palestinian people. The Arab countries have expressed their interest in reaching a peaceful solution of Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on international legitimacy,” Dr. Al Sati said.

The envoy referred to India’s long-standing commitment to the issue of Palestine and said there was widespread international agreement on ending the conflict through two-state solution.

His comments indicate that the Saudi Arabian government remains focussed on the rights of the Palestinians despite unconfirmed but frequent reports of covert diplomacy between Israel and the Saudi rulers who want to counter the growing influence of Iran in the region. He described such reports as “lies spread by the Israeli media.”

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