Saudi Arabia confirms its categorical rejection of all Israeli policies, practices and plans against the Palestinian people

Saudi Press Agency

Wednesday 1440/5/17 - 2019/01/23

United Nations, January 22, 2019, SPA -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has unequivocally rejected all Israeli illegal policies, practices and plans as well as Israel's attempts to perpetuate racial discrimination against the Palestinian people, to obliterate their national identity and to undermine their legitimate rights.

This came in the speech of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before the Security Council today on the situation in the Middle East, delivered by Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the United Nations Ambassador Abdullah bin Yahya Al-Mualimi.

He called on the international community and the Security Council in particular to shoulder its responsibilities and immediately intervene to stop settlement projects and provide protection for the Palestinian people and work to force the Israeli occupation authorities to implement international resolutions, lift the siege on the Gaza Strip and open the crossings immediately and permanently and end the humanitarian and economic crisis affecting the Palestinian people.

He said, "My country stresses the importance of a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East as a strategic option to end the Arab-Israeli conflict in accordance with the international prerogatives and the Arab peace initiative of 2002, which was presented by my country and included the establishment of a Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital and end the Israeli occupation of all Arab territories, including the Syrian Arab Golan and the Lebanese territories."

He added, "The Syrian people, too, are still living the worst human crisis of the century. The former Special Envoy of the Secretary-General in Syria, Stephane de Mistura, has completed his duties without achieving the desired results... because of the intransigence of the Syrian regime and its unwillingness to reach a just political solution to end the tragedy of the Syrian people."

He congratulated the new Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on the new and difficult task entrusted to him and stressed the support of the Government of Saudi Arabia for his efforts in achieving a political solution based on resolution 2254.

He added that the Kingdom's government stresses the importance of reaching a just political solution in order to put an end to the suffering of Syrians all over the world and demand the withdrawal of all foreign forces and foreign fighters, especially the Iranian forces and their militias from all Syrian territory.

He stressed the condemnation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its rejection of any use of chemical weapons in Syria, and called on the international community to seek to punish those responsible for these crimes.

The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the United Nations referred to the latest developments of the Yemeni issue, the most prominent of which was the holding of the Yemeni consultations in Sweden last December, which resulted in what is now known as the Stockholm Agreement. He said that the Iranian-backed Houthi disregard does not show truthful intentions of this group, which was confirmed by the attack on Al-Anad Military Base in Yemen by an Iranian made unmanned aircraft and Houthi execution, resulting in the martyrdom of six Yemeni officers, as well as injuring a number of others, in addition to the attack on the UN Redeployment Coordination Committee in Hodeidah, which was also carried out by this militia, as the reports of the United Nations and independent observers have shown that Iran continues to support the Houthi militias with weapons and military expertise.

He called on the Security Council to continue pressure on Iran to abide by the resolutions of the Council, particularly resolutions 2231, 2140 and 2216, stressing the importance of reaching a comprehensive political solution in Yemen that guarantees the sovereignty of the state on all its territory and the unity of arms within the framework of a unified national army, the commitment to the three references, which are the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of the national dialogue and relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2216.

He concluded that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue to support the Yemeni people, their legitimate leadership and respond to humanitarian needs.

--SPA
04:08 LOCAL TIME 01:08 GMT
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