Saudi Arabia Wants to Cooperate with Israel, AWG Presidium Says Muslims Should be Optimistic

Jakarta, MINA – The member of the Presidium of the Aqsa Working Group (AWG) Rustam Effendi emphasized that Muslims should not be weak and easily discouraged, for all the efforts of Zionist Israel in building support from Islamic countries through relations labeled as cooperation.

It is in response to Saudi Arabia’s statement that it is ready to normalize relations with Israel, based on the 2002 Arab initiative proposal for peace.

“Bismillah, Allah will help when we only rely on Him, not on creatures. Let Saudi, United Arab Emirates, even the whole world establish relations with Israeli Jews. As long as we rely on Allah, we will be strong and win,” he told MINA on Wednesday.

He also invited the Muslims to stay focused on mobilizing the unity of the people to defend Al-Aqsa.

“We make this a momentum for us to be more enthusiastic in fighting,” he said.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Riyadh-based daily Arab News, the kingdom’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, said Riyadh was committed to the Arab Initiative for peace, which calls for an end to Israel’s occupation of all Arab territories occupied.

“The Saudis’ latest and official position is that we are ready to normalize relations with Israel, as soon as Israel implements elements of the Saudi peace initiative presented in 2002,” Al-Mouallimi said. Thus, Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday.

After implementing the initiative, he added, Israel would gain recognition “not only from Saudi Arabia but the entire Muslim world, 57 countries from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.”

“Time doesn’t change right or wrong. Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is wrong, no matter how long it lasts,” the diplomat said.

Last month, Israeli media reported that a delegation of about 20 American Jewish leaders had visited Saudi Arabia and met with senior officials there, including at least six government ministers and senior representatives from the Saudi royal house, in an effort to review possible ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to Arab parameters for peace with Israel, which was revealed in the 2002 Saudi-proposed Arab Initiative.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)