The 76th United Nations General Assembly entered its second day Wednesday, with the kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia calling for a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
In a pre-recorded speech, Jordan's King Abdullah II said that the latest 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip underscored that "the current situation is simply unsustainable."
"General security for both sides, indeed for the whole world, can only be ensured by a two-state solution," he said and called for the creation of a Palestinian state established on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Jordanian king also called for continued support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz stressed in his pre-recorded speech Riyadh's longstanding position on Palestinian statehood.
"Peace in the Middle East is our strategic option," he said, emphasizing that it would include a solution to the Palestinian question and an Arab peace initiative that would guarantee Palestinians' rights to an independent state, also based on the 1967 lines and East Jerusalem as the capital.
Nevertheless, most of King Salman's speech focused on Saudi Arabia's rival, Iran. The leader said Riyadh supports efforts to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, as world leaders prepare to resume talks with the ayatollah regime to reinstate the 2015 nuclear pact.
"The kingdom insists on the importance of keeping the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, on this basis we support international efforts aiming at preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons," King Salman said.
Iran and Saudi Arabia, leading Shiite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, have been rivals for years, backing allies fighting proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. They cut diplomatic ties in 2016, but have been holding talks this year aimed at reducing tensions.
"Iran is a neighboring country, and we hope that our initial talks with it will lead to concrete results to build confidence ... based on ... respect of sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs," the Saudi king said.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
