Albawba.com
Amman
The Saudi opposition has issued a statement assailing an alleged meeting in Washington between Bandar Bin Sultan, ambassador of the Saudi Arabia to Washington, and leaders of the Jewish lobby in the US in which the two sides allegedly agreed that a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should not be based on the establishment of a an independent Palestinian state, but rather on a confederation between Palestine and Jordan.
The statement was cited by the Iraqi state-owned daily Al Jumhoriyya last week. The opposition claimed that Ben Sultan promised the Jewish leaders Saudi support for their standpoint.
The Saudi official stand backs all the Palestinian rights stipulated in the UNSC resolutions, including their right to self determination, an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for the Palestinian refugees.
In the October 21-22 Arab summit, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz pledged to pay $400m to support the Palestinians and preserve the Arab identity of Jerusalem.
According to the report, Ambassador Bin Sultan said “Saudi Arabia would only support a confederation between Jordan and the Palestinians because it believed that an independent Palestinian state would bolster "the extremism" of the Palestinians and
the PLO.”
Al Jumhoriyya’s sources claimed that Bandar, Defense Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz’s son, “appealed to the Jewish leaders to expedite a political solution to the conflict to block the way to Palestinian "extremism", as the Saudi prince put it, and
to contain the effect of the Intifada, which he claimed had surprised the PLO itself.
The Saudi opposition sources said the meeting was held at the
New York residence of Jewish millionaire Tsvi Shalom in an extremely
friendly atmosphere.
The sources pointed out that another meeting was held three months ago between Bandar and an important Jewish figure, during which Bandar asserted that Saudi Arabia does not consider itself a party to the Middle East conflict now. Rather, it is currently playing a major role with the Arab parties. He said Saudi Arabia views itself these days as a certified midwife helping in the birth of the so-called peace process.
Following the meeting, Henry Siegman, head of the World Jewish Congress, was quoted as saying he initiated the call for such a meeting. He allegedly said many meetings have taken place this year and in the past years – Albawaba.com
