Palestinian President meets Saudi Crown Prince in Jeddah

Mahmoud Abbas discussed the latest developments in Palestine with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah. SPA

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held talks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the kingdom’s port city of Jeddah on Wednesday during an official visit.

The talks focused on the latest developments in Palestinian territories and ways to strengthen Saudi-Palestinian relations.

Mr Abbas and Prince Mohammed stressed "the continuation of efforts exerted to guarantee the legitimate rights of Palestinians in establishing their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital", according to a statement by the Saudi news agency SPA.

During the meeting Mr Abbas praised "Saudi Arabia and its role in supporting the Palestinian cause and to push for legitimate rights to freedom, independence and sovereignty in the Palestinian state in line with the Arab Peace Initiative".

The peace agreement dates from 2002 and envisions ending the conflict with Israel by establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The meeting between the two leaders was attended by Prince Turki bin Mohammed, a Saudi minister of state, and other prominent Saudi officials.

The Palestinian leader arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport on Monday and was welcomed by Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah.

The Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Bassem Al Agha, praised the Saudi leadership for its consistent stance towards Palestine.

Mr Al Agha told Voice of Palestine radio that communication between the two sides has been constant.

Mr Abbas “will talk at length with King Salman and Prince Mohammed about the Zionist crimes in Al Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the suffering of the Palestinian people in terms of killing", he said.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Palestine have been solid and strong for many years.

This month, there was an increase in violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, a feature of the increase in tensions since an ultraright-wing government took power in Israel in late December, spreading across borders over the Easter weekend.

Israeli police raided Al Aqsa and said the action was to remove what they described as extremists armed with firecrackers and stones.

Israel bombed targets in Syria and Lebanon after rockets were fired from the two countries.

Saudi Arabia and regional states on Saturday condemned Israel’s actions and said they undermined the two-state solution and the opportunities for achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

Foreign ministers of nine Arab states, including the six GCC countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — as well as Egypt, Iraq and Jordan denounced the attacks on Al Aqsa Mosque.

They stressed the need for Israel to respect the historical and legal status quo at the holy site and recognise that Al Aqsa Mosque is purely a place of worship for Muslims.