When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sept. 10 that he plans to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank if he wins in the legislative elections today, there was initially no response from the Arab states. While a number of traditional Palestinian allies did speak up, the implications of such a move go far beyond normal political disputes.
In a significant move, Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Sept. 12 to condemn Netanyahu and insist that the Saudis are strongly opposed to the annexation move.