Surprising meeting: A senior Saudi delegation is expected to arrive in Ramallah on Tuesday for a meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The delegation is headed by Nayef Bandar Sudiri, the Saudi ambassador to Jordan, who was recently appointed the kingdom's ambassador to the Palestinian Authority and consul general in Jerusalem.
According to reports, the convoy of the Saudi delegation entered Israel from Jordan through the Allenby crossing, and the ambassador is making its way to Ramallah. Palestinian sources reported that the ambassador was supposed to present his credentials to Abbas, thus becoming the first Saudi ambassador to the Palestinian Authority.
من دولة #فلسطين الحبيبة #ارض_كنعان اجمل التحيات، مقرونة بمحبة مولاي #خادم_الحرمين_الشريفين وسمو سيدي #ولي_العهد. 🇵🇸❤️🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/lbVSQ1Ugnk
— نايف بن بندر السديري (@naif63_2) September 26, 2023
In the background of the visit is the Biden administration's efforts to reach a deal that will include normalization relations with Israel. The Palestinians hope to receive updates from Ambassador Sudiri on the contacts taking place and on the kingdom's position on the Palestinian issue.
Ramallah says the visit shows that Saudi Arabia is not abandoning the Palestinians despite the contacts to establish normalization with Israel. However, there is dissatisfaction that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not publicly mention the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state in an interview with Fox News. A few days ago, bin Salman declared that "every day we are closer to an agreement," adding that "the Palestinian issue is important, and we strive to make life easier for Palestinians."
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