Saudi King Knocks Embassy Move

YERUSHALAYIM
Saudi king
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is seen during the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Sunday. (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via Reuters)

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman opened the latest Arab League summit with a salvo aimed at President Donald Trump’s decision to transfer the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim.

“We reiterate our rejection of the U.S. decision on Jerusalem,” the king said in a speech in Dhahran in eastern Saudi Arabia.

“East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories,” he asserted.

Salman also announced a $150 million donation for the upkeep of Islamic heritage sites in eastern Yerushalayim.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the embassy is scheduled for mid-May to coincide with Israel’s anniversary of its proclamation of independence on May 14, 1948.

However, Iran not Israel was the main topic of Salman’s remarks.

“We renew our strong condemnation of terrorist acts carried out by Iran in the Arab region, and we reject its blatant interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries,” he said, without giving specifics.

Reuters did not mention his comment on the embassy in its coverage of the king’s speech.

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