Netanyahu’s false promise on Saudi Arabia?

Although King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia clarified the kingdom’s position on Jerusalem at the Arab League Summit in Dhahran last week, the final communique was silent on the Gaza Strip, where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed 32 Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, and wounded over 1,600 in protests that have taken place in recent weeks at the border with Israel.

Salman announced $150 million for the Islamic endowment in Jerusalem and $50 million for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, making up for the cut in US funding. He proclaimed the meeting the “Jerusalem” summit. The communique noted the “illegality of the American decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as we categorically refuse to recognize Jerusalem [Al-Quds] as the capital of Israel, where East Al-Quds will remain the capital of the State of Palestine,” and added a warning “against taking any action that would change the current legal and political status of Al-Quds.”

Bruce Riedel writes that “the stridency of the king’s remarks … reflects growing unease in the royal palace that events in Gaza and Jerusalem are moving toward even more explosive unrest next month when the US Embassy opens in Jerusalem. The Saudis are uncomfortable that they have been widely perceived in the Arab world as colluding with Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, to undermine the Palestinians’ claim to the holy city, a perception that damages the Saudi mantle as the defender of the holy mosques, which is crucial to the royal family’s legitimacy. Pictures on TV of protesting Gazans burning Saudi flags and pictures of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have been blocked in the kingdom. Iran is actively labeling the Saudis as conspiring with Israel.”