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Saudi King Tells Palestinians That Saudi Arabia Backs Their Claim to Jerusalem

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan /US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan /
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan / Getty Images
December 21, 2017

King Salman of Saudi Arabia assured Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia continues to support Palestinian claims to Jerusalem.

King Salman reiterated his support for "the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital city," the Associated Press reported.

Abbas' visit to Riyadh, where the meeting with King Salman was held, came a week after heads of state of Muslim countries met in Turkey to denounce President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The Palestinians and Turks are accusing the U.S. of intimidation after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned the U.S. "will be taking names" during a vote on condemning the Trump administration's Jerusalem announcement.

Trump has aligned his administration with Saudi Arabia, though it sharply and quickly criticized his Jerusalem decision.

Published under: Jerusalem , Saudi Arabia