Since late 1995, King Fahd has suffered increasingly from ill health, and Crown Prince Abdullah has assumed many routine governmental functions (Prados). Crown Prince Abdullah has one exception to many of his actions as the acting "King", which is the media. With King Fahd disabled and Crown Prince Abdullah media-shy, Prince Saud al-Faisal, the long-time foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, is the highest ranking official in the country willing to conduct both public and personal interviews (Alter 1).
Given that the background information on Saudi Arabia is completed, what topic should be discussed firstly? Well, it seems that the most discussed topic between U.S. and Saudi relations is the Arab/Israeli conflict.
Saudi Arabia supports the Palestinian cause and also their claims for the old city of Jerusalem. Saudi officials have become increasingly critical of Israel since the uprising began in late 2000. According to a New York Times article back in May of 2001, Crown Prince Abdullah rejected an invitation to visit the United States in June 2001, to show displeasure over what they regarded as insufficient U.S. efforts to stop Israel military action against the Palestinians. In early 2002, Crown Prince Abdullah drafted what he hoped could be a peaceful ending to the conflict. It called for a full Israeli withdrawal in return for normal relations between the two sides. According to White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, there were areas of disagreement between the two sides in regards to their views on possible peace (Prados 7-8).
When Prince al-Faisal was asked why he believed Crown Prince Abdullah's plan did not get much support, he had the following to say:.
Because of the position that Israel has taken. For example, what is.
happening with the "road map" that the United States was supposed.
to bring out now? Who is stopping that? Is it the Arab countries that.
are stopping that? It is Israel.