In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English, Prince Turki al-Faisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, dismissed the idea of Saudi Arabia cooperating with Israel saying that there’s no change in the Saudi position, Trend reports referring to Al Arabiya.
Responding to a question regarding the claims that the recent intersection of interests in the Iran file could translate to normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, prince al-Faisal dismissed the notion. “There has been no change in the Saudi position and the media and other wishful thinking about the Israeli-Saudi cooperation because of the Iranian threat is only that, wishful thinking,” the Prince said.
As part of a wider interview, the Prince reminded of the last Arab summit that was held in Saudi Arabia following the American administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in which King Salman said the summit is the Jerusalem summit.
“The statement that came out at that summit affirmed the insistence of the Arab world that Jerusalem be the capital of the Palestinian independent state, according to the Arab peace initiative,” he said.
Prince al-Faisal referred to King Salman’s recent statement during his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas where he reiterated that Saudi Arabia stands by the Palestinian people’s right in establishing their own state with Jerusalem as its capital.
“Look at the statements that came out yesterday from King Salman about the Kingdom’s commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and to the independence of the Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem,” he said. The statement of King Salman is “only the recent vocalization of a long-standing policy,” he added.