New York Times: King Salman of Saudi Arabia Meets With Hamas Leaders
CAIRO — King Salman of Saudi Arabia met Friday with top political leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in the most striking example yet of the new king’s willingness to work with Islamist organizations long considered foes.
Analysts with close ties to the Saudi royal family said the meeting appeared to reflect King Salman’s determination to rally as much of the Arab world as possible against Iran, the kingdom’s chief rival, at a time when the Saudis fear that Iran will emerge empowered by its deal with Western powers to lift economic sanctions in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.
The meeting was held in Mecca and included Khaled Meshal, Hamas’s political leader who lives in Qatar. It was a startling reversal from the approach of the previous king, Abdullah, who had led a campaign to roll back or eradicate the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates around the region. Hamas is both an offshoot of the Brotherhood and a client of Iran.
WNU Editor: More signs of Saudi Arabia shifting its foreign policy to a more active engagement in the region.
More News On The Saudis And The Leadership of Hamas Reconciling Their Differences
Hamas chief and Saudi king hold rare meeting -- Reuters
Saudi king meets Hamas leader Meshaal in Mecca -- Al Jazeera
Hamas in groundbreaking meeting with Saudi king -- The Telegraph
Rare meeting between Hamas chief and Saudi King may signal warming relations -- Jerusalem Post
Hamas chief meets Saudi king for first top level meeting in years -- Haaretz
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