A diplomatic agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran may increase support for the Palestinian cause
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Raven Ruma
- . March 22, 2023
- . Update: March 22, 2023 5:07 pm
According to Palestinian officials, the deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to reestablish diplomatic ties may help rally support for the Palestinian cause and may even open the door for a potential reunion between Fatah and Hamas.
Politicians and analysts hailed the agreement as a step forward that could improve regional security and stability as well as the ability of Arab and Islamic nations to respond to threats and challenges collectively and successfully as well as to defend the rights of the Palestinian people and support their cause.
Saudi Arabia and Iran declared on March 10 that diplomatic relations will restart and their embassies will reopen in two months following negotiations in Beijing organized by China. The agreement, according to many political analysts and experts, is likely to harm Israel by weakening its position and advancing the Palestinian cause.
The Saudi-Iranian rapprochement, according to Jibril Rajoub, secretary general of the Fatah Central Committee, is a strategic move that will have a substantial impact on security, stability, and other regional interests and issues, including the Palestinian struggle.
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The deal was praised by the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh, at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah.
The agreement between Riyadh and Tehran will surely benefit regional security and stability as well as the Palestinian cause, according to Ahmed Majdalani, the Palestinian minister of social development. He told Arab News that it might also help to strengthen the bond between Fatah and Hamas.
Former PLO envoy to the UN Nasser Al-Kidwa told Arab News that he thought the deal would help the Palestinian cause by hurting Israel.
Gaza-based security and political expert Islam Shahwan stated that the Saudi-Iran accord will primarily enhance support for the Palestinian cause.
Shahwan added that Saudi Arabia might also be more receptive to working with Islamic Jihad and Hamas, contribute more to initiatives supporting Palestinians in East Jerusalem, and generally enhance the status and reputation of the Kingdom as the foremost Islamic nation.
According to political expert Majdi Halabi, Tehran’s viewpoint could be swayed by the Saudi rapprochement and it may decide to embrace a two-state solution to end the occupation of Palestinian territory rather than advocating for the destruction of Israel.
“Saudi Arabia’s adopted perspective, embodied in the Arab Peace initiative of 2002, is closer to ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict than Iran, which talks about liberating Jerusalem and erasing Israel from existence, but these hollow slogans do not benefit the Palestinian cause,” Halabi said in an interview with Arab News.
