Saudi FM: Israel Spoilt Child of Int. Lenience

Source: PressTV

Saudi Arabia has denounced the easygoing international attitude, which has emboldened Israel into destroying the prospects of Middle East peace.

"In the international community, Israel has become like a spoiled child," said Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal following talks with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, AFP reported.

"We can't reach a solution with the preferential treatment that Israel gets," al-Faisal added.

Tel Aviv refuses to meet the Palestinian condition for recommencement of peace talks by enforcing a permanent and complete freeze on its settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The resulting long-standing standoff in the Middle East peace talks was compounded by Israel's December 2008-January 2009 offensives against the Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians. A UN-commissioned inquiry earlier in the year convicted Tel Aviv of perpetrating war crimes during the raids.

Al-Faisal also deplored the international community's "double-standard" towards Israel, questioning why only "other countries who violate international law are punished."

The 69-year-old Saudi prince last month regretted the failure of his efforts to establish a Palestinian state and regional peace during his 35 years in office.

The two ministers urged the international community to take a "stern and serious stance" against Israel's settlement policy.