JEDDAH, 3 July — Saudi Arabia yesterday denounced the Israeli air strike on a Syrian military position in Lebanon on Sunday as “a dangerous escalation” in the Middle East situation.
The Israeli attack was a serious escalation that endangered security and stability in the region, the weekly Cabinet meeting said.
The Council of Ministers, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, also called for “serious and sincere efforts” to stop Israel’s settlement policy and its military attacks against unarmed Palestinian civilians.
The Cabinet, however, noted with satisfaction international efforts led by the United States to achieve peace in the Middle East. “These efforts should be translated into concrete action to stop Israel’s settlement projects and its aggressive practices against the Palestinians,” the Cabinet said in a statement.
Two Israeli warplanes on Sunday destroyed a Syrian radar station in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, wounding two Syrians and a Lebanese soldier.
Addressing the Cabinet, King Fahd reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for all serious and just endeavors to achieve a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East conflict.
The Saudi leader spoke about the crises and challenges faced by Muslim communities in various parts of the world and stressed the need for Islamic unity and solidarity to confront them. He also urged the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to strengthen economic cooperation.
He lauded the outcome of the foreign tour by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, and said it was aimed at mobilizing world support for Arab and Islamic causes and strengthening ties with other countries.
Prince Abdullah arrived in Alexandria yesterday on the last leg of a several-nation tour which has already taken him to Syria, Germany, Sweden, Morocco and France. During the tour, the crown prince tried to bring the Palestinian issue into world focus and urged the international community to stop the Israeli aggression.
The Cabinet meeting authorized the education minister to sign a cooperation agreement with the American department for oceans and environment. It assigned the foreign minister to hold talks with Austria on reaching an agreement for economic and technical cooperation.
The Cabinet appointed Dr. Saleh ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Kuhaimy as ambassador at the Foreign Ministry, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Bassam as deputy director general of the General Organization for Grain Silos and Flour Mills, Salman ibn Muhammad Al-Amry as director general of administrative and financial affairs at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Propagation and Guidance, and Abdullah ibn Abdul Razak Al-Duwaish as director general of education at the Education Ministry.
