Saudi Arabia says relations with Hamas have not changed after meeting

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

World | Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:54am EDT

Saudi Arabia says relations with Hamas have not changed after meeting

DUBAI

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Thursday a visit to the kingdom last week by a Hamas delegation was religious rather than political and Saudi relations with the Iran-allied Palestinian group had not changed.

Saudi Arabia has for years regarded Hamas with intense suspicion because the Palestinian militant group is both a traditional ally of Iran and also an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement Riyadh has often seen as a threat.

"The visit of Hamas to the Saudi kingdom made by Khaled Meshaal and his colleagues (was a) visit to the holy city of Mecca ... The position of the kingdom with regards to Hamas has not changed," Jubeir said.

Jubeir described as inaccurate and exaggerated media reports that the visit was political in nature.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/23/us-saudi-palestinians-idUSKCN0PX1H520150723

[leftynyc]

1. Sunni vs Shia

Not surprised there is no movement towards each other.