Palestinian president to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

By Qays Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to arrive in Riyadh on Tuesday for talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

A recent U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would figure high on the agenda of Abbas’ talks in Saudi Arabia, Palestinian ambassador in Riyadh Bassam al-Agha told the official Voice of Palestine radio on Monday.

The diplomat denied reports that Abbas had been pressured by Saudi officials during his last visit last month to the oil-rich kingdom.

“These reports are unfounded and aim at undermining Palestinian-Saudi relations,” he said.

Israeli and foreign media earlier claimed that Abbas had been pressured by Saudi officials to make substantial concessions to Israel.

On Dec. 6, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, sparking angry demonstrations in many Muslim countries and worldwide condemnation.

Rebuffing the move, an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul last week declared East Jerusalem to be Palestine’s capital.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.