Senior Saudi Official to ’Israeli’ Yedioth Ahronoth: We Have Common Interests, Friends!
Local Editor
As part of the continuous normalization with the "Israeli" apartheid entity, Saudi officials continue to meet or conduct interviews with their real ally.
Anwar Eshki, the senior Saudi official in contact with "Israelis" whose identities he prefers not to disclose, and who has met the Director-General of the "Israeli" Foreign Ministry, Dore Gold in conferences abroad, was interviewed by the Yedioth Ahronoth "Israeli" daily,
"I assure you, from personal knowledge, that there is now a real opportunity for peace," he said. "Everyone around wants to reach an agreement. I can tell you that in the era of the former Saudi king, Abdullah, who formulated and published the Arab Peace Initiative, which was adopted by all the countries in the Arab world, there was no chance of reaching a comprehensive and true peace. Today, in the era of King Salman, it is possible. The circumstances have changed. The prospects and opportunities have improved immeasurably."
According to the daily, the interview with Eshki was held in the lobby of the luxurious Sheraton hotel in Doha, Qatar.
"I refuse all suggestions that I hold meetings behind closed doors," said Eshki , Director of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jeddah. "I have nothing to hide. What I have to say I say directly, openly, without secrets and not behind the scenes."
"Even the leadership of Saudi Arabia has changed, and the new government is signaling to you that he is determined to achieve peace. We have common interests and we can easily designate common enemies."
In response to the question: "Suppose Netanyahu announced his support for the Saudi peace plan on the international stage. What would happen?" the Saudi official answered: "Saudi Arabia will commence a procedure the goal of which will be to encourage Arab countries to begin implementing normalization with "Israel", which will reflect positively on your relationship with Egypt, Jordan and other countries."
"Egypt recently returned two islands to Saudi Arabia (Tiran and Sanafir). We plan to build the King Salman bridge, which will link Africa to Asia and will be used for the transit of passengers, vehicles and goods. On Tiran Island, which stretches over 80 square kilometers, a free trade zone is being built exempt from taxes and duties. If "Israel" goes along with the diplomatic process and adopts the Arab peace plan, we shall invite "Israel" to present goods and sell what you have to offer on the island of Tiran. Such a move will have huge economic returns for you."
"As far as is known, only two people in Saudi Arabia meet openly with "Israelis". One is Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former head of military intelligence and the Saudi ambassador in London, and the other is Dr. Eshki. About a year ago, Eshki met his veteran interlocutor Dr. Dore Gold at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, and they both shook hands in front of the cameras, revealing their relationship."
He further added: "I reiterate: I consider all of my meetings with "Israelis" to have been "private conversations" and not "binding". I have followed King Abdulaziz Salman's policy according to which every Saudi citizen has to be his country's ambassador who acts to achieve its interests in every domain."
Source: Ynet, Edited by website team
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