Saudi Arabia on May 9 denounced the decades long Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory and said it is a perfect example of injustice and violation of human rights in some parts of the Middle East. Addressing a ministerial conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Prince Turki bin Muhammad, foreign ministry undersecretary for multilateral relations, reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for the Palestinian issue.
The Kingdom urged all NAM member countries to accept Palestine as an independent state, adding that 132 countries have already recognised it. “Israel’s arrest of Palestinians and other Arabs is a flagrant violation of human rights and international charters,” he said.
The Kingdom called for making the Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction. However, it said countries in the region should have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. “We call upon Iran, all Middle Eastern countries and Israel to abide by international agreements regarding nuclear programmes.”