Saudi crown prince condemns Israel’s attacks on Palestinians as ‘genocide’
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged the international community to stop Israel from attacking Iran and to respect Iran's sovereignty.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and de facto ruler condemned what he called the “genocide” committed by Israel against Palestinians during a speech at a summit of leaders of Muslim and Arab countries in Riyadh on Nov 11.
“The kingdom renews its condemnation and categorical rejection of the genocide committed by Israel against the brotherly Palestinian people,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at an Arab Islamic summit, echoing comments by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in late October.
The Crown Prince urged the international community to stop Israel from attacking Iran and to respect Iran’s sovereignty.
He said in September that the kingdom would not recognise Israel unless a Palestinian state was created.
US President Joe Biden’s administration had sought to broker a normalisation accord between Saudi Arabia and Israel that would have included US security guarantees for the kingdom, among other bilateral deals between Washington and Riyadh.
Those normalisation efforts were put on ice after the Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants
In a press conference later on Nov 11, Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit pointed to an article in a concluding statement to the summit that moved to freeze Israel’s membership in the UN General Assembly.
He stated that freezing membership would not come under the Security Council’s jurisdiction and could be decided by the General Assembly.
“We might witness soon the freezing of the membership (of Israel) through a UN GA majority decision,” said Mr Aboul Gheit.
The summit’s concluding statement demanded that all countries ban exports or transfers of weapons and ammunition to Israel and urged the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for civilian and military officials in Israel.
Israel’s military assault on Gaza in the last 13 months has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly its entire population, caused a hunger crisis and led to allegations of genocide at the World Court, which Israel denies. REUTERS
