The Communist Party of Israel (CPI) and its Hadash front have condemned the unofficial visit by a Saudi delegation to Israel last week, accusing it of legitimizing Israel’s strategy of refusal towards peace initiatives opposite the Palestinians. Israel’s Channel 2 News said that the visit of Egypt’s foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, to Israel two weeks ago was coordinated between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, whose peace initiative is backed by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi.

Former Saudi General Anwar Eshki, fourth from right, and other members of a delegation of Saudi academics and business people meet with Israeli Knesset members, July 22, 2016. (Footage: Twitter)

“The recent visit by Saudi personalities, including former general Anwar Eshki, and their meetings with representatives of the Netanyahu government, on the pretext of advancing a dialogue concerning the Arab peace initiative, were not designed to challenge Israel’s refusal strategy, but to legitimize it by giving Arab ‘sponsorship’ to voiding the initiative of any content and by eliminating the two-state solution and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” said a statement issued by CPI and Hadash, the largest faction with the Joint List parliamentary bloc.

“The visit is part of the normalization of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Israel against Iran, Syria and resistance movements in the region,” the statement continued. Two weeks ago CPI and Hadash also condemned Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s visit to Jerusalem and his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The condemnation of both visits was issued by the CPI Central Committee and Hadash secretariat without the endorsement of other members of the Joint List.

The Saudi delegation of academics and businessmen visited Israel last week. It was headed by retired general Anwar Eshki, who met far-right Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold, as well as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Territories, Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai.  The Saudi delegation also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior officials in Ramallah.  High-ranking Fatah official Jibril Rajoub told Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen news agency that the Saudi visit to the Palestinian Authority was the second such one to have taken place until now.

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