Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz has told Palestinian Authority chief Mahmud Abbas that the internal Palestinian rift is damaging their bid for an independent state more than the Israeli enemy. In a letter conveyed to Abbas on the occasion of Fatah party's first congress in 20 years, the Saudi monarch called on all Palestinian factions to unite and work hand in hand for an independent Palestinian state.
"The arrogant and criminal enemy was not able, during years of continued aggression, to hurt the Palestinian cause as much as the Palestinians hurt their cause themselves in the past few months," Abdullah said in the letter cited by the Saudi media on Wednesday. "I can honestly tell you, brothers, that even if the whole world joins to found a Palestinian independent state, and if we have full support for that, this state would not be established as long as the Palestinians are divided.
"This letter from the holy land does not represent my sentiments alone but the sentiments of one thousand million Arabs and Muslims who see their greatest issue is the Palestinian issue."
On Wednesday the Saudi king was in Morocco while Fatah helds its second day of deliberations. The participants are expected to hold elections for the party's decision-making body on Thursday.
