Muneeb Al-Masry: Saudi Arabia has not and will not abandon Palestine

The position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the issue of Palestine has been consistent throughout history, since the era of the founding King Abdulaziz and his advocacy for the Palestinian issue at the Round Table Conference in London in 1935 and his historic letter to US President Roosevelt, and until the era of King Salman, who had great initiatives towards Palestine. In 1969, King Salman appointed The head of the popular committees to support the Palestinians launched two initiatives, the first inviting the Saudis to subscribe for the benefit of sponsoring the families of the Mujahideen and martyrs of Palestine at a rate of 1% of their salaries, and the second is a register of honor through which the Saudis commit to making regular donations to the account of the popular committee and many other great positions of the kings of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia throughout history, The most prominent of which is the positions of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz (the martyr of Jerusalem), who was martyred for his heroic and courageous positions in defense of Palestine.

The central role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in leading the Arab and Islamic nation, its steadfast and supportive positions on the Palestinian issue, and its permanent rejection of free normalization with the Israeli entity, deserves all praise, appreciation and respect. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been the big sister, the protective shield, and the support in all crises and challenges.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position on the Arab-Israeli conflict is clear and has not changed. There cannot be normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel except after the Arab-Israeli conflict is resolved, according to what was stated in the Arab Peace Initiative. Which was proposed by the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in (2002) at the Beirut summit, and before that, what was proposed by the late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz at the Fez summit in 1984. Prince Turki Al-Faisal said in one of the interviews, “The Kingdom of Arabia has put Saudi Arabia: The price for achieving peace between Israel and the Arabs is the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, based on the initiative of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. In an interview with the late Prince Saud Al-Faisal in 2009, with an American newspaper, he said: “He did not see moments of happiness in his life because the Palestinian people are still under occupation and refugees in the diaspora, and that without achieving freedom and independence for them, he would not have been happy.”

These firm and supportive positions for the Palestinian cause, which were affirmed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and his Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, inspire pride and pride, as well as complete reassurance that the positions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its victory for the Palestinian cause are consistent throughout history, until the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. .

A few days ago, I had the honor of meeting with His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the non-resident Ambassador to the State of Palestine, dear brother Nayef Al-Sudairi, during his historic visit to Palestine. During this visit, he expressed in a strong and clear manner the Kingdom’s firm positions, the centrality of the Palestinian issue, and that the path to any peace is The Arab Peace Initiative, to first block the way for the Israelis and their media and attempt to market the visit in a context different from its normal context, as well as for all those who doubt the Kingdom’s positions towards the Palestinian issue.

It is a great coincidence that the first Saudi I met in my life was Abdullah Al-Sudairi, the former Minister of Municipalities and the former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Jordan. I had the honor of getting to know him when we were students at the Lebanese Ali School after the Palestinian Nakba in 1948. The friendship continued for many decades, and he honored me by giving me the opportunity. Getting to know the late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, and I have always felt in him his great love for Palestine, his affiliation to its just cause, and his sincere Arabism, and this is what I also sensed with His Excellency Ambassador Nayef Al-Sudairi, which made me believe that the Palestinian issue is the issue of every Saudi throughout history.

I find it an opportunity in this context to record my greetings and appreciation to His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the patron of the efforts made to support the city of Jerusalem, whether through the Jerusalem Empowerment Fund or through the Jerusalem Fund and Endowment, as he is the companion of the path and the safety valve in this project that we started together and are continuing with to protect the Arab identity of Jerusalem. .

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a leadership, a government, and our people. We record all signs of respect and appreciation, and history will record in letters of gold the positions of the Kingdom that have not changed the direction of the Palestinian issue, and in the endowment that is betting on the Israeli occupation on normalizing relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to resolve the conflict and liquidate the Palestinian issue, we are confident. We have every confidence that the Kingdom will not abandon its principles and its adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative as the basis for any agreement or relationship with the occupying entity.