King Salman of Saudi Arabia called for “coexistence among all the region’s peoples” and endorsed President Trump’s Middle East diplomacy just days after the signing of historic agreements between Israel and two other Gulf Arab states.
“Peace in the Middle East is our strategic option,” the oil-rich monarch told the United Nations General Assembly. ”And we will spare no effort to work together towards achieving a bright future where peace, stability, prosperity, and coexistence among all the region’s peoples prevail.”
His recorded comments seemed to indicate that Saudi Arabia approves of the recent normalization of ties between Israel and two of the monarchy’s closest allies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Yet, he avoided any explicit reference to the newly signed Abraham Accords despite Trump’s prediction that “many other Middle Eastern countries” would soon ink similar pacts.
“They are coming fast, and they know it’s great for them, and it’s great for the world,” Trump told world leaders during his own address Tuesday. “We intend to deliver more peace agreements shortly, and I have never been more optimistic for the future of the region. There is no blood in the sand. Those days are, hopefully, over.”
The deals marked a break with the historical posture of most Arab nations, many of which have cited the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian controversy as a justification for refusing to recognize Israel as a state. Palestinian officials denounced the agreements as a “betrayal” of their cause, a complaint amplified by Iran and Turkey.
The Saudi leader’s careful celebration of U.S. diplomacy puts a spotlight on the Israeli-Palestinian disputes in a way that contradicted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s contention that the administration had drafted a “document of surrender” for Palestinians to sign.
“We support the efforts of the current U.S. administration to bring about peace in the Middle East by bringing both the Palestinians and the Israelis together at the negotiating table to reach a fair and comprehensive agreement,” the Saudi royal said.
