The Kingdom's positions in support of the Palestinian cause cannot be limited, as the Kingdom's position on the Palestinian cause has been one of the main constants since the era of King Abdulaziz – may God have mercy on him – starting from the London conference in 1935 known as the "Round Table" conference to discuss the Palestinian cause, to the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The two honorable King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
The Kingdom has supported the Palestinian cause in its various stages and at all levels (political, economic and social), out of its sincere belief that its efforts towards the Palestinian cause are a duty dictated by its belief, conscience and affiliation to its Arab and Islamic nation.
King Salman's efforts
King Salman bin Abdulaziz contributed to canceling the Zionist restrictions imposed on Al-Aqsa Mosque, after closing it in the face of Muslims and preventing them from performing their duties and prayers at the first two qiblahs, as King Salman initiated contacts with many world leaders, and he also contacted US President Donald Trump, regarding the events that occurred It happened in Al-Aqsa Mosque in the past period, and the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques culminated in the abolition of the Zionist restrictions imposed on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Kingdom supported the heroic Palestinians who insisted on removing all obstacles placed by the Israeli occupation forces to prevent them from performing their prayers in the mosque, and supported the Palestinian right and the right of Muslims to perform Their prayers at their first kiss.
The protection of Jerusalem has been at the forefront of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ attention since he was the Emir of the Riyadh region, as he personally supervised many campaigns launched by Saudi Arabia to help and relieve the Palestinian people and rebuild the destruction left by the brutal occupation, and these efforts are witnessed by everyone.
The Kingdom issued a statement regarding the US administration's decision to transfer its embassy in the Israeli occupation state to occupied Jerusalem.
The Royal Court statement stated that the Kingdom followed with regret Trump's declaration of recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the Kingdom's government had previously warned of the dangerous consequences of such an unjustified and irresponsible step.
The statement added, "The Kingdom expresses its strong condemnation and regret at the American decision on Jerusalem, because it represents a major bias against the historical and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem."
political support
The Kingdom has a prominent and distinguished role in its continuous political support to support the Palestinian cause, strengthen the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and achieve their aspirations to build their independent state. That is why we find it adopting all the decisions issued by international organizations and bodies related to support for the Palestinian cause, and it participates in many conferences and meetings related to resolving the Palestinian issue, starting with the Madrid Conference and ending with the road map and the Arab Peace Initiative proposed by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz – may God have mercy on him – (the Crown Prince at the time). And adopted by the Arab countries as a unified Arab project at the Beirut Summit in March 2002 to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, which provides security and stability for all peoples of the region, and secures a permanent, just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Kingdom is making unremitting efforts and intensive contacts with Western and friendly countries and the American administration to put pressure on Israel to oblige it to implement the relevant international legitimacy resolutions that provide for complete withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands since 1967. And its constant demand for the international community to intervene urgently to stop the aggressive and repeated Israeli attacks and practices against the people Palestinian.
The Kingdom also condemned Israel's construction of the separation wall that includes vast Palestinian lands, and submitted a protest note to the International Court of Justice in The Hague condemning Israel's construction of the apartheid wall, and the Court issued Decision No. (28/2004) and dated (7/9/2004 ) of the illegality of this wall and called on Israel to remove it, and the General Assembly's decision in this regard came to express the solidarity of the international community regarding this issue and called on Israel to stop the wall and abandon it and that it contradicts international law.
Saudi initiatives to solve the issue
First: King Fahd Peace Project «Arab Peace Project»:
King Fahd's project for peace was announced at the Arab Summit Conference held in the Moroccan city of Fez in 1982, and was approved by the Arab countries and became the basis for the Arab project for peace, just as this initiative was the basis for the Peace Conference in Madrid in 1991.
The project consists of the following principles:
1- Israel's withdrawal from all the occupied Arab lands in 1967, including the city of Jerusalem.
2- The removal of settlements established by Israel in Arab lands after 1967.
3- Guaranteeing freedom of worship and the practice of religious rites for all religions in the holy places.
4- Confirming the right of the Palestinian people to return and compensating those who do not wish to return.
5- The West Bank and Gaza Strip shall be subject to a transitional period under the supervision of the United Nations for a period not exceeding a few months.
6- The establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
7- Confirming the right of the countries of the region to live in peace.
8- The United Nations or some of its member states shall ensure the implementation of these principles.
Second: King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s initiative:
It is the initiative announced by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz at the Beirut Summit (March 2002) and adopted by the Arab countries as a unified Arab project to resolve the Arab-Palestinian conflict, which provides security and stability for all the peoples of the region and secures a permanent, just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The initiative is summarized as follows:
1- Withdrawal from the occupied territories up to the borders of (4) June 1967.
2- Accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state on the occupied lands in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as its capital.
3- Resolving the refugee issue in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy.
The initiative indicated that Israel's acceptance of the Arab demands means the establishment of "normal relations" between it and the Arab countries.
financial support
The Kingdom has provided material and moral support to the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people since the inception of the Palestinian cause, within the framework of the Kingdom's generous support for the causes of its Arab and Islamic nations. In this regard, the Kingdom made a generous donation at the Arab Summit Conference in Khartoum in 1967, and the Kingdom committed itself at the Baghdad Summit in 1978 to provide annual financial support to the Palestinians in the amount of $1,97,300,000 for a period of 10 years (from 1979). Until 1989), and at the emergency summit in Algeria (1987), the Kingdom decided to allocate monthly support for the Palestinian Intifada in the amount of (6) million dollars. In the first intifada (1987), the Kingdom also made a cash donation to the Palestinian Intifada Fund in the amount of (1,433,000) dollars, and provided an amount Two million dollars for the International Red Cross to purchase medicines, medical equipment and food for the Palestinians.
The Kingdom pledged to finance a development program through the Saudi Fund for Development amounting to 300 million dollars, concerned with the sectors of health, education and housing. It was announced at conferences of donor countries during the years 94-95-97-1999, in addition to customs exemptions for Palestinian goods and products.
On the other hand, the Kingdom fulfilled all its contributions decided according to the Beirut Summit (March 2002) to support the budget of the Palestinian Authority, and what was confirmed by the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit (March 2003) to renew the Arab commitment to this support, as it transferred the full commitment amounting to (184.8) million dollars for the period from 1/4/2002 – 30/3/2004. It also fully fulfilled its commitments according to the Tunis Summit (May 2004) regarding the continuation of financial support for the Palestinian Authority's budget for a period of 6 months, starting from (1) April until the end of September 2004, when it transferred the full amount of (46.2) million dollars. Saudi Arabia's support for the Palestinian Authority is the largest among Arab donors to the Authority. At the Arab Summit Conference in Cairo (2000), the Kingdom took the initiative to propose the establishment of two funds under the name of the “Al-Aqsa Fund” and the “Jerusalem Intifada” Fund, with a capital of one billion dollars. In the amount of (50) million dollars for the “Jerusalem Intifada” Fund, whose capital is (200) million dollars.
The Kingdom's government has paid attention to the Palestinian refugee problem, providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees directly or through international agencies and organizations concerned with refugee affairs such as UNRWA, UNESCO, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the World Bank, and the Islamic Bank. The Kingdom regularly pays its share to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), represented in its annual contributions amounting to (1,200,000) dollars to the agency’s budget, and has provided exceptional donations amounting to about (60,400,000) dollars, to cover the deficit in its budget and implement its special programs By the Palestinians. The Kingdom also allocated (34) million dollars to UNRWA as part of the Kingdom's grant to the Palestinians, amounting to (300) million dollars, which it announced during the conferences of donor countries for the years (94-96-97-1999).
popular support
After the June 1967 war, the Kingdom worked to form the popular committees to help the Palestinian people, as it contributed and continues to contribute to collecting donations for the Palestinian people from among the Saudi people, who responded greatly to them. In (1987) popular support amounted to more than (118) million riyals, and during the second intifada in (2000) the Kingdom provided generous support amounting to about (240) million riyals, in addition to in-kind donations such as cars, ambulances, real estate, jewelry, medical and food items.
Jerusalem issue
The Jerusalem Committee was established within the framework of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to preserve the Arabism of Jerusalem and its Islamic character. The organization issued a decision on the Jerusalem Fund, stressing the importance of the fund's role in supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, and called on member states to commit to covering the capital of the Jerusalem Fund at $100 million. The Kingdom supports the Jerusalem Fund with the aim of resisting the policy of Judaization, preserving the Arab and Islamic character, and supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and in the rest of the occupied territories. In terms of protecting Islamic antiquities and sanctities in Palestine, the Kingdom responded to all UNESCO calls for the protection and restoration of Islamic antiquities and sanctities in Palestine. The Kingdom bore the expenses of restoring and repairing the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque, and the residences of imams and muezzins in Jerusalem, to represent the Kingdom's interest in protecting Islamic sanctities. The Kingdom issued many statements denouncing the aggressive actions carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people and their sanctities. For example, the Kingdom denounced the Israeli government’s decision to annex the city of Jerusalem and consider it its eternal capital, as it was able, in cooperation with Arab, Islamic and friendly countries, to obtain Security Council Resolution No. (478) In the year 1980, in which he calls upon all countries that have established diplomatic missions in Jerusalem to immediately withdraw them, and nullify all measures taken by the Zionist entity’s government to Judaize Jerusalem, a decision that was considered a victory for Islamic diplomacy and a frustration for the Zionist plan towards the city of Jerusalem.
Saeed Al Mansour (Jeddah) @SaeedAlmansor