Expert outlines difficulties facing Saudi Arabia in advancing two-state solution
An expert on the West Asia region has said that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is still unresolved and if peace is to be achieved between the two sides, Saudi Arabia would souk to assume a pivotal role.
The expert, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with ILNA.
Commenting on the trip by the Saudi Ambassador to the West Bank, he said, “The visit by the Saudi ambassador to Palestine is being done for the first time and should be considered an important development.”
“By dispatching his ambassador to the West Bank, the Saudi crown prince seeks to exert pressure on the U.S. so that a specific Palestinian state is established, something that Israel has partially acquiesced to in my opinion,” Bakhshayesh Ardestani said.
It should be noted that the issue of Saudi-Israel relations is also on the table, he said, noting that Riyadh has set two overall conditions for that – accessing nuclear technology and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
But the main problem is that the conflict between Israel and Palestine is still in place, he said.
The expert noted, “The fact is that Netanyahu is looking for concessions from the Palestinians and Saudi Arabia, and in return, he wants to give concessions to Saudi Arabia at the lowest level and force this country to normalize relations.”