Palestinian Leader Abbas Meets Saudi Crown Prince in Jeddah

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Facts

  • As part of his trip to Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud Abbas met with Saudi Crown Prince and PM Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on Wednesday to discuss current developments in the Palestinian territories and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.1
  • During their talks on bolstering bilateral ties — which came amid a recent surge in violence — both emphasized the importance of advancing "the legitimate rights of Palestinians" to establish their own state, the Saudi news agency SPA reported.2
  • Abbas welcomed the Kingdom's backing for the Palestinian cause, consistent with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the creation of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.3
  • According to the Anadolu News Agency, Abbas's visit to Saudi Arabia began on Monday and coincided with that of a senior Hamas delegation — led by its political chief Ismail Haniyeh — to discuss recent events in the Palestinian territories and Hamas-Saudi relations.4
  • The Palestinian militant group's first trip to Saudi Arabia since 2015 reportedly also featured talks about Hamas affiliates detained in the kingdom. There was no confirmation of the trip from Riyadh or from Hamas, which is close to Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.5
  • The Palestinian president and Hamas's visits to Saudi Arabia come amid the recent China-brokered rapprochement between the kingdom and Iran, and also follow Hamas's recent efforts to improve bilateral ties after they deteriorated in 2007.6

Sources: 1Asharq AL, 2The National, 3The Times of Israel, 4Middle East Monitor, 5Al Jazeera, and 6Iran Front Page.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by JNS. The Saudi-Iran deal and Riyadh's questionable diplomatic activities are bad news for Israel and the US, as well as their joint efforts to achieve regional peace under the Abraham Agreement. However, Riyadh's charm offensive is also aimed at neutralizing Tehran's regional influence and should not therefore be confused with a growing anti-Israel stance. The Saudis are pursuing their own interests and are well aware that their main strategic rival is not based in Tel Aviv.
  • Narrative B, as provided by PressTV. Even if Tel Aviv tries to downplay recent developments, the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement and the visit of both Abbas and the Hamas delegation are a fatal blow to Israel and US efforts to dominate the region. While the Israeli regime is grappling with a severe domestic crisis, Riyadh and Tehran have seized the opportunity to prepare the ground for reconciliation in the region. The days of Israeli and US divide-and-rule tactics are over, and that is good news for regional peace.

Predictions