Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Palestinian VP
Hussein al-Sheikh in Riyadh to discuss the US revoking visas for a UNGA
delegation.
According to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the two sides' talks covered the most recent events in Palestine as well as current initiatives to aid the Palestinian cause.
Sheikh praised Saudi Arabia's "firm position and its efforts to support the Palestinian people and their just cause at all levels," according to Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency.
According to Wafa, the US move to revoke the Palestinian delegation's visas prior to the UN General Assembly sessions on September 8–23 was also discussed.
According to Wafa, Bin Salman and Sheikh also discussed the state of affairs in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in the face of Israeli strikes and settler violence.
They reiterated their dedication to keeping the two sides closely coordinated in order to tackle the region's persistent problems.
President Mahmoud Abbas and other members of the Palestinian Authority and the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) were denied visas by the US Department of State in late July as part of sanctions against them.
The sanctions were imposed during the UN General Assembly sessions as a number of Western nations, including France and the UK, intend to recognize a Palestinian state.
Sheikh made an official visit to the Saudi capital on Sunday.
Israel's ruthless offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 63,500 Palestinians since October 2023, coincided with the visit. The famine-stricken enclave has been decimated by the military campaign.
For war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November.
How might Saudi-French recognition pledges affect Palestine's UN strategy?
Their recognition pledges lend symbolic and diplomatic
weight to the Palestinian cause, reinforcing Palestine’s claim to statehood and
fuelling momentum toward broader international recognition, including from
Western powers where recognition has been lacking.
Co-chairing international conferences and jointly pushing resolutions at the UN General Assembly creates political platforms to rally global backing for a two-state solution, emphasizing "tangible, time-bound, and irreversible steps" toward Palestinian sovereignty.
Their support conditions recognition on excluding Hamas from Palestinian governance, promoting the legitimacy and security credentials of the Palestinian Authority as the recognized representative. This aims to marginalize extremist factions and present a moderate, viable partner for peace talks.