Saudi official says Deal of Century leads to full Palestinian statehood

June 22, 2019 13:46

“History and Allah brought a real opportunity,” a top-ranking Saudi diplomat told Israelis via an interview in Globes on Friday, “the blood conflict had lasted too long, us Saudis and all Gulf States plus Egypt and Jordan realize that the age of going to war with Israel is over.”

Pointing to “the advantages of normalizing relations” he argued that “the whole Arab world could benefit from it.”

The Saudi said that “Israeli technology is very advanced and the Arab world, including those who hate you, looks at Israel in admiration due to this success and hopes to copy it.”

He further stated that despite the understanding among Saudi people that the age of war with Israel needs to end, the kingdom has a deep commitment to the Palestinians.

“Maybe it is hard to them to part with the character of the ever-suffering victim and they don’t believe they could survive without it,” he said, noting that if they accept the American peace plan they will be given “sums they never dreamed of.”

The official slammed Palestinian leadership as “irresponsible” for not even considering the Deal of the Century, which will bring 60 billion USD to their people, he said.

Far from arguing the plan is based solely on money, the Saudi argued that it includes a “clear path leading to complete Palestinian independence” and added that “we are convinced that even the hard issues can be resolved when one has a full stomach and a relaxed life…they still don’t accept this.”

The diplomat argued that one of the reasons for this refusal is the Palestinian perspective that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may not be able to sell a peace-deal to the Israelis and so they can wait until a leader who is more suitable to their needs might appear.

“We think that when it’s time to decide every Israeli leader, Netanyahu as well, will take the path of peace as this is what most Israelis want,” the man said.