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The leaders of Egypt, Palestine and Jordan called on the Israeli government to agree to a timetable to end its occupation of the West Bank and recognize a Palestinian state during talks yesterday. In a three-way meeting in in El Alamein, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II accused the Israeli government of fuelling violence in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank and called on it to end settlement expansion in a joint statement published by Ittihadiya. It also urged it to end its raids in Palestinian cities, which have contributed to a surge in violence in the West Bank this year.
ICYMI- The meeting comes following a series of provocative moves by Israel’s far-right government, which includes ministers that have advocated deporting Arabs and annexing the country’s illegal settlements in the West Bank. Earlier this month, Egypt hosted reconciliation talks between the leaders of Fatah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
US ambitions to bring Saudi Arabia and Israel together also featured on the agenda: The leaders discussed “US efforts to achieve normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and the Palestinian Authority’s requirements in the framework of the signing of such a deal,” AFP quotes a Palestinian source familiar with the talks as saying.
KSA appoints an ambassador to Palestine: Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi’s role has been expanded to “non-resident ambassador to Palestine,” according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. The Saudi embassy in Jordan on social media described Al-Sudairi’s role as “consul-general in Jerusalem.” Some Palestinians interpreted that as a Saudi endorsement of an eventual Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, while Israel said there would be no physical mission for Al-Sudairi in the city, Reuters reports.
IN CONTEXT- The news comes as US-mediated talks continue behind closed doors to potentially normalize relations between Israel and Saudi — a diplomatic process that will entail concessions on both sides that could take months to negotiate.
El Sisi x King Abdullah II: The two leaders had a meeting separate from the summit where they discussed bilateral relations as well as developments in Palestine, according to an Ittihadiya statement yesterday.
