*RIYADH: *King Salman reiterated Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the Israeliprime minister’s pre-election pledge to annex part of the West Bank, in aphone call Thursday with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
Battling to win re-election in September 17 polls, Netanyahu issued adeeply controversial pledge on Tuesday to annex the strategic JordanValley, which accounts for around a third of the occupied West Bank.
He also repeated his intention to annex Israeli settlements in the widerWest Bank, but in coordination with US President Donald Trump.
“The king reiterated… Saudi Arabia’s condemnation and categorical rejectionof the Israeli prime minister’s declaration on his intention to annex landsfrom the West Bank,” the official *Saudi Press Agency* reported.
The king also said Netanyahu’s pledge marked a “very dangerous escalationagainst the Palestinian people” and was a “flagrant violation” of UN andinternational laws, SPA added.
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Netanyahu’s moves could essentially destroy any remaining hopes for atwo-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
His pledge has drawn firm condemnation from the Palestinians, the UnitedNations, the European Union and Arab states.
At Saudi Arabia’s request, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation — a57-member pan-Islamic body — said it will hold an emergency foreignministers’ meeting on Sunday to discuss an “Israeli escalation”. -APP/AFP
