The Saudi foreign minister gave a speech to the UN General Assembly on Saturday in which he warned that regional security in the Middle East depends on a “just, comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue” and apparently criticized Israel for “unilateral actions that constitute a blatant violation represent “criticized international law” without mentioning the country.
“Security in the Middle East region requires accelerating a just, comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue; The solution must be based on decisions at international level and bring about a peace that allows this [the] “The Palestinian people should have an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said.
He added that Saudi Arabia also “rejects and condemns all unilateral steps that constitute a blatant violation of international law and contribute to the failure of regional and international peace efforts and hinder the path to diplomatic solutions,” an apparent reference to Israel’s approval of settlement construction in the West Bank and the legalization of some outposts in recent months.
The Kingdom, he said, “aspires to support all efforts to strengthen security and stability and focus on inclusive development, in order to create a conducive space for dialogue, reduce tensions and encourage the states of the region to each “To avoid escalation and exchange benefits and interests in order to meet the wishes of the people in the region.”
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Israel reportedly sent a diplomatic representative to speak in the General Assembly hall, even though the speech took place on Shabbat.
Bin Farhan’s 16-minute address, in which he made no direct mention of Israel or brought up efforts to reach a possible normalization deal, comes amid increasing talks about a possible historic peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which Riyadh is said to seek Israeli concessions from the Palestinians, but this does not give them an independent state. Riyadh is also demanding concessions from the United States such as a new defense pact, significant arms deals and cooperation in establishing a civilian nuclear program on Saudi soil.
The Saudi minister’s comments on Saturday also come amid a series of seemingly positive developments in recent days. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman told Fox News on Wednesday that “we are getting closer every day to normalizing his country’s relations with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin.” Netanyahu devoted much of his UN address to touting the potential deal with Riyadh and its impact on the region.
In his speech on Friday, Netanyahu said Israel was “on the threshold” of a historic peace deal with the Saudis, an agreement that he said would transform the Middle East and “encourage other Arab states to strengthen their ties with Israel.” normalize”. “Improve the prospects for peace with the Palestinians.”
He later told Fox News he believed the window was open for a possible normalization deal in the next few months, but suggested there were “big problems” with a proposal to allow Riyadh to enrich uranium.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to use a red marker on a map of the “New Middle East” while speaking at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, September 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Riyadh sent a single representative to the General Assembly hall to listen to Netanyahu’s entire speech, seen as another encouraging sign for formal ties.
Israel also congratulated the kingdom on Saturday on Saudi National Day, which celebrates the founding of the modern Saudi kingdom in 1932.
Bin Farhan also mentioned the conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Libya and Sudan in his speech on Saturday and said Riyadh wants “the return of stability to the region”, citing the recent China-brokered agreement between the two countries Kingdom and Iran, restoring diplomatic relations and direct communication between the two countries after seven years of tension.
The agreement, he said, was “based on mutual respect and regard for sovereignty, independent security and non-interference, as well as respect for the UN Charter and the Charter of the OIC.” [the Organization of Islamic Cooperation].”
Following his speech on Saturday, Bin Farhan met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the meeting.
The meeting came days after Bin Salman said in his rare interview with Fox News this week that Saudi Arabia would have to acquire a nuclear weapon if Iran did so.
“If they get one, we have to get one – for security reasons, for the balance of power in the Middle East. But we don’t want to see that,” he said.
Bin Salman said Saudi Arabia would be “concerned” if a country acquired a nuclear weapon. However, he suggested that no one would use a nuclear weapon because it would mean starting a “war with the rest of the world.”
Iran sparked widespread concern last Saturday after it withdrew a third of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s most senior inspectors from access to nuclear facilities in the country, a move described as unprecedented by the IAEA chief.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that Iran’s nuclear program was a “destabilizing element” and accused Tehran of being “uninterested in actually being a responsible actor” after kicking out UN inspectors.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry linked the move to an alleged attempt by the United States and three European countries to use the body “for their own political purposes.” The ministry was apparently referring to Britain, France and Germany, which said on Thursday they would maintain sanctions against Iran related to its nuclear and missile programs.
An unidentified International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspector cuts connections between the two 20 percent uranium production cascades on January 20, 2014, at the Natanz Nuclear Research Center, about 300 kilometers south of Tehran, Iran. (KAZEM GHANE/IRNA/AFP)
Earlier this month, Britain, the United States, France and Germany told the IAEA that Iran needed to resolve questions about its nuclear program, including concerns about surveillance cameras and the presence of uranium particles enriched near weapons levels.
In 2015, major world powers agreed with Iran that Tehran would curb its nuclear program in return for a lifting of crippling economic sanctions. That began to unravel in 2018 when then US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the pact and reimposed sanctions.
Tehran, in turn, strengthened its nuclear program. Efforts to revive the deal have so far been unsuccessful.
In his UN speech on Friday, Netanyahu devoted much time to the Iranian nuclear threat and Tehran’s support for terrorism, and expressed indirect criticism of the Biden administration and Western countries on the nuclear issue.
“Eight years ago, Western powers promised that sanctions would be withdrawn if Iran violated the nuclear deal. Well, Iran is violating the agreement, but the sanctions have not been lifted. To stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions, this policy must change. The sanctions must be withdrawn,” said Netanyahu, who was a staunch opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal.
“And most importantly, Iran must confront a credible nuclear threat,” he said. His office released a statement shortly afterward saying he had misunderstood the line and meant to speak of a “credible military threat.”
Netanyahu was largely vague in a CNN interview on Friday when asked about support for Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program. U.S. support for such a program is a key Riyadh demand for the deal, although security officials in both Israel and the U.S. have expressed concerns about the prospect of enrichment on Saudi soil.
Although a civilian program without uranium enrichment could be carried out on Saudi soil, the kingdom reportedly requires that uranium enrichment take place locally.
In the CNN interview, Netanyahu said there could be “big problems” if Riyadh were to enrich uranium and that his government would “not do anything that would in any way endanger Israel’s security.”
“I will not jeopardize Israel’s interests and national security, but I will not jeopardize its success by speaking about it publicly,” Netanyahu added.