From CDHR
December 18, 2007
Misreading the Saudis – Annapolis
By Ali Alyami
We, at the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, have received many inquiries asking for our opinion about the Saudi presence and participation at the November 27th Annapolis conference on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Our answer is simple: the Saudi foreign minister was dispatched to make sure no deal could be accepted without the approval of Hamas.
Based on past history, the goal of the Saudis is to make sure that Palestinian extremist groups gain power and that Jerusalem remains a Muslim city under Muslim control, preferably the Sunni-Wahhabi brand of Islam. The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, did not come to Annapolis to show support for the more secular Abbas Palestinian delegation as described by political pundits. He came to make sure that the Palestinians did not agree to anything that would exclude the Saudi-trusted ally, Hamas. The inclusion and full participation of Hamas would be in alignment with Saudi interests, as the Saudi-Wahhabi alliance would like to see Jerusalem remain under total Muslim control. This is a stated Saudi governmental policy. Those who described the Saudi presence at Annapolis as a positive sign are the very same people who called on the Saudi royal family to pressure Arafat to conduct free elections and fight corruption as Afrafat squandered the Palestinian people’s donated foreign aid.