Meeting Abbas, MBS backs Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital


February 13, 2019
JFJFP
Palestinian leader also holds talks with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, a day before a US-led conference on the Middle East in Warsaw, which Ramallah has said it is boycotting

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi King Salman in Riyadh on February 12, 2019.

Adam Ragsson writes in Times of Israel, “Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave Saudi Arabia’s support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on Tuesday, the official Palestinian Authority news site Wafa reported. “The Saudi crown prince affirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Palestine in all forums and the Palestinian people’s right to an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Wafa reported after a meeting between the  prince and visiting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Riyadh.”

“Earlier on Tuesday in a separate meeting with Abbas, Saudi King Salman made a similar remark, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Salman said Saudi Arabia “permanently stands with Palestine and the brotherly Palestinian people’s right to an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” SPA reported.”…

“However, Abbas’s meetings with the Saudi rulers came two days after Axios reported that an internal Israeli Foreign Ministry document had concluded that Riyadh would not back the  peace plan or normalize ties with Israel unless the Jewish state makes “a substantive concession to the Palestinians.” The Axios report cited officials who read the Foreign Ministry paper.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meeting in Riyadh on February 12, 2019

“The report also said the document stated that Salman had taken back responsibility for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict file from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and realigned Saudi policy on the issue with the Arab Peace Initiative. Prince Mohammed reportedly has previously pressured Abbas to accept the Trump administration’s nascent peace plan.” (more…)

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