Palestinian authorities greeted the inaugural Saudi Arabian ambassador with open arms on Saturday. This gesture of solidarity arrives at a juncture when Saudi Arabia is contemplating the feasibility of establishing official diplomatic ties with Israel.
Originating as the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia has steadfastly advocated for the Palestinian cause while refraining from formal interactions with Israel. Concurrently, the United States is actively promoting a potentially groundbreaking accord in the Middle East, one that could potentially involve the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In a ceremony held in Jordan, Majdi al-Khalidi, the diplomatic advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was presented with Ambassador Nayef Al-Sudairi’s credentials, designating him as a non-resident envoy. This announcement came via the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
Al-Khalidi underscored, “This marks a significant stride that will further fortify the robust fraternal bonds linking our two nations and their peoples,” as affirmed by Wafa’s account.
Talal Okal, a Palestinian analyst, articulated that this diplomatic assignment serves as an initial stride toward establishing an official Saudi representation office within the occupied West Bank. He appended that this move also conveys Saudi Arabia’s unwavering dedication to upholding the full sovereignty of Palestine as an autonomous state.
Just the previous week, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki articulated that the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, helmed by President Abbas, aspires to enter into discussions with Saudi Arabia to address reservations concerning the prospective normalization with Israel.
Notably, Saudi Arabia has discreetly acknowledged the Abraham Accords, which have led to the normalization of relations between Israel and Gulf nations like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
