Saudi king and Abbas talk as Biden is in Israel
Newslooks- RIYADH, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s monarch received a phone call from the Palestinian president as Joe Biden begins his two-day visit to Israel.
The customary call, which King Salman has received from other Muslim heads of state, was to congratulate the Saudi leadership on the hajj season in Mecca that just wrapped up and the Eid holidays, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
No further details were provided and there was no indication that President Mahmoud Abbas and King Salman discussed Biden’s visit or any issues related to Palestinian statehood.
In May of last year, the two held a call in which King Salman assured Abbas of Saudi Arabia’s support for the Palestinian cause and condemned Israel’s war in Gaza and attacks on Palestinian worshippers in Al Aqsa, which is located at a site in east Jerusalem that’s holy to both Jews and Muslims.
During his trip to the region, Biden is looking to expand budding ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which have been quietly growing in recent years amid shared enmity and concerns over Iran and its nuclear ambitions. The Palestinians are concerned about Arab allies embracing Israel without an agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state.
