Washington DC –
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), expressed his willingness to rebuild Gaza, Palestine, which was destroyed by Israel under conditions when he met United States (US) Minister of Foreign Affairs Antony Blinken. The condition of MbS is that Israel must provide a way for Palestine to officially become a state.
MbS is also said to be willing to normalize Saudi relations with Israel if Palestine officially becomes a state. So, what is the attitude of the US, which has been supporting Israel, regarding MbS’s conditions?
Reported by the official website of the US Department of State (US Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Associated PressSunday (21/1/2024), Blinken traveled to Saudi and met with MBS in Al’Ula on January 8 2024. Blinken and MbS were said to have discussed a number of things ranging from humanitarian issues in Gaza to Houthi attacks on ships in the sea. Red.
“The secretary underscored the need to immediately address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and prevent the further spread of the conflict. The secretary of state and the crown prince discussed ongoing efforts to reduce regional tensions, including preventing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Minister Blinken emphasized the importance of building a stronger region “safe, prosperous and integrated, including through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. They also discussed the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” said a statement on the official website of the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Blinken claimed Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey had agreed to begin a reconstruction and governance plan for Gaza after Israel’s war against Hamas ended. The countries previously rejected US calls to begin post-war planning and insisted there must be a ceasefire and a reduction in civilian suffering caused by Israel’s military offensive against Hamas on Oct. 7.
“Everywhere I go, I find leaders who are determined to prevent the conflict we are facing now from expanding, doing everything possible to prevent escalation to prevent the conflict from expanding,” Blinken told reporters after meeting MbS as reported by AP.
“The leaders agreed to cooperate and coordinate our efforts to help stabilize and recover Gaza, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinian people and to work towards long-term peace, security and stability in the region as a whole,” he continued.
However, Blinken did not provide details about the contribution from Arab countries, although financial support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia is crucial to the success of any plan regarding Gaza. Blinken then said MbS was interested in normalizing relations with Israel. However, he said, this could only happen when the conflict in Gaza ends.
“But this requires an end to the conflict in Gaza, and this also clearly requires a practical path to a Palestinian state,” said Blinken.
“This interest exists, is real, and can be transformative,” he continued.
Blinken said he would convey the Arab countries’ commitment to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war Cabinet as well as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Any post-war plan for Gaza is known to require support from Israel and the Palestinians.
However, Netanyahu has his own stance regarding Gaza’s future that other countries are unlikely to accept. Netanyahu is known to oppose the concept of a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
(haf/imk)
2024-01-21 05:53:48
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