Saudi King snubs UAE, Bahrain peacemakers in UN speech
King Salman calls for world to stop appeasing Iran, reaffirms support for Arab Peace Plan between Israel and Palestinians.
By LAHAV HARKOVSaudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman talks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 9, 2018(photo credit: BANDAR ALGALOUD/COURTESY OF SAUDI ROYAL COURT/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud left the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain making peace with Israel out of his speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, despite directly addressing Israel-related issues and peace in the region.“Peace in the Middle East is our strategic option, and we will spare no option toward achieving a bright future where peace, stability, coexistence among all the region’s people prevail,” the Saudi leader said in the closest reference to the dramatic changes in the region.King Salman’s snub comes amid multiple reports of a generational divide between him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, known as MBS, who is enthusiastic about ties with Israel to enhance the Saudi economy and tech sector. His father, however, is more loyal to the traditional Arab stance of no normalization until Israel makes peace with the Palestinians.The Saudi leader referred to this position by reaffirming his support for the 2002 Arab Peace Plan, a key element of which is promising Israel normalization with the Arab world if it makes peace with the Palestinians by withdrawing to pre-1967 lines, dividing Jerusalem and allowing some Palestinian refugees and their descendants into Israel.The Arab Peace Plan “ensures the fraternal Palestinian people would regain their legitimate rights establishing independent statehood with east Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.Though the Trump administration’s vision for peace is markedly different from the Saudi-backed plan, allowing Israel to extend its sovereignty to 30% of the West Bank and keep settlements intact, King Salman said he “supports efforts of the current US administration to bring peace in the Middle East by bringing Israel and the Palestinians together at the negotiating table to reach a fair agreement.”The Palestinians have refused to negotiate with Israel based on the Trump administration’s efforts.King Salman dedicated most of his UN address to Iran, which he said “has total disregard for the stability of the global economy or oil supplies to international markets and continues through its proxies to target the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia], launching to date over 300 ballistic missiles.”Saudi Arabia attempted to make peace with Iran repeatedly, inviting multiple Iranian presidents to Riyadh, “to no avail,” he said.The Saudi king accused Iran of taking advantage of international goodwill to spread terrorism.“Appeasement will not stop its threats to international peace and security,” he warned. “A comprehensive solution, a firm international solution are needed to ensure fundamental solutions for the Iranian regime’s attempt to develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile systems, interference in internal affairs of other countries and sponsorship of terrorism.”King Salman called on the nations of the world to stand firmly against countries that are “promoting transnational extremist ideologies, which shield themselves behind political slogans to hide their chaotic and destructive nature.”Saudi Arabia and Iran are involved in a proxy conflict, mostly in Yemen, where they have intervened on behalf of opposite sides in the civil war, but also in disputes across the Middle East.King Salman also called for Iranian proxy Hezbollah to be disarmed, blaming it for the collapse of Lebanon.
