Hassan Nasrallah said any Arab nation considering a normalization agreement with Israel must be condemned, in a speech condemning possible Israel-Saudi ties on Monday. The Iran-backed Hezbollah leader spoke at an event marking the birthday of the prophet Muhammad in Beirut's Shi'ite stronghold, the Dahieh quarter.
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He said such an agreement is dangerous and constitutes an assault on the Al Aqsa mosque and the Palestinian people. "The Zionists must hear the voice of the Muslim world emanating from mosques," Nasrallah said. "Instead they hear voices expressing willingness for normalization," he said adding that Muslims bear responsibility for the Palestinians.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also condemned the intention of Muslim nations to normalize ties with Israel, calling it reactionary and a regression for any government in the Muslim world. "The solution for this enemy is not compromise or capitulation but resistance," Raisi said without mentioning any country by name.
Reports last week, claimed Saudi Arabia was adamant about reaching a defense agreement with the U.S. in exchange for the normalization of ties with Israel. Three regional sources with knowledge, said the Saudis were willing to go ahead, even if Israel does not offer any concessions to the Palestinians.
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U.S. President Joe Biden with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in 2022
(Photo: Reuters)
"The normalization would be between Israel and Saudi Arabia and if the kingdom will stay its course if the Palestinians oppose it," one source told the Reuters news agency. "Saudi Arabia supports a peace plan for the Palestinians but this time wants to do something for its own benefit and not just for them," the source said.