Saudi king reaffirms support for Palestine

In this photo released by Al-Ekhbariya, Saudi King Salman, right, receives Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after he arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Al-Ekhbariya via AP)

JEDDAH: King Salman met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the king reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The two leaders also explored the latest developments in the Palestinian territories.
On Thursday, the 193-member UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency session, at the request of Arab and Muslim countries, to vote on a draft resolution that was vetoed by the US on Monday in the 15-member Security Council.
The other 14 council members voted in favor of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which expressed “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.” 
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour said he expected “overwhelming support” for the measure stating that Jerusalem is an issue “to be resolved through negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians.
“On self-determination I expect we’ll get the support of around 180 countries, on sovereignty the vote will be in the 160 area, and on Jerusalem I expect 170 countries will vote with us in opposition to the US veto,” he told Arab News.