While the US is working towards normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the new Saudi ambassador to the Palestinian Authority, Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, who is based in Amman, revealed in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, an Arabic international newspaper published in London, that over the years Saudi Arabia has invested some 51 billion riyals (about $13.6 billion) in the Palestinians.
According to the breakdown provided by Al-Sudairi. 29 billion riyals were transferred as aid directly to the Palestinian Authority; four billion riyals were given to UNWRA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East); and 18 billion riyals were given from the Saudi Fund for Development, which provides aid to developing countries. "There is no doubt that this illustrates our close relations and Saudi help to our brothers in Palestine," Al-Sudairi said.
Al-Sudairi disclosed the figures just two days after being appointed Saudi Arabia’s non-resident ambassador in Palestine and consul general in Jerusalem. He said that the kings of Saudi Arabia had always supported the Palestinian cause. He mentioned King Faisal, who, following US arms supplies to Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, led the oil embargo that caused an international crisis.
Today, as far as advancing towards normalization with Israel is concerned, Saudi Arabia is in a dilemma: on the one hand, it realizes that if could gain handsomely from the US side in such a move, including F-35 combat aircraft, a defense pact, and even a civilian nuclear program; on the other hand, the country wants to maintain its standing as "guardian of the holy places of Islam", and does not want to be perceived as ignoring the Palestinian issue. Furthermore, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his father King Salman do not necessarily see eye to eye on developments in the Middle East. King Salman attaches greater importance to the Palestinian issue, like his predecessors.
Normalization with Israel without the formation of a Palestinian state will be considered abandonment by Saudi Arabia of the peace initiative it presented to the Arab League in 2002. Under that plan, Arab countries would enter into full diplomatic relations with Israel subject to the formation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and full Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), including East Jerusalem, and from the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 14, 2023.
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