Riyadh claims to be devoted to Arab peace agreements with Israel.
ISTANBUL – Saudi Arabia has stated that it is willing to normalise relations with Israel based on the Arab Initiative for Peace of 2002.
Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, the kingdom’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said in an interview with the Riyadh-based Arab News daily that Riyadh is committed to the Arab Initiative for Peace, which calls for the end of Israel’s occupation of all Arab territories occupied in 1967 and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital in exchange for normalising relations with Israel.
“The official and most contemporary Saudi stance are that we are willing to normalise relations with Israel as soon as Israel implements the elements of the 2002 Saudi peace offer,” Al-Mouallimi said.
He went on to say that once the idea is implemented, Israel will be recognised “not only by Saudi Arabia but by the entire Muslim world, including all 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.”
“Right or wrong, time does not change.” The occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel is illegitimate no matter how long it lasts, according to the ambassador.
According to Israeli media, a delegation of about 20 American Jewish leaders visited Saudi Arabia last month and met with senior officials there, including at least six government ministers and senior representatives of the Saudi royal family, in order to explore the possibility of establishing ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
Saudi Arabia has frequently stated its adherence to the Arab peace guidelines set forth in the Saudi-proposed Arab Initiative of 2002.
During the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel invaded East Jerusalem and annexed the entire city in 1980, a decision that has never been acknowledged by the international world.
