Israel condemned by 28 nations, plus special interview with Top Gear host Steve Berry
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Asharq Al-Awsat
37 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran Envoy: Jareesh is Part of Our Culture, I Prefer It to Mandi
With a warm smile and a calm tone, Dr. Alireza Enayati, Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, reflects on nearly two years in Riyadh, describing a personal journey shaped by culture, cuisine, and diplomacy. 'I've visited different regions and tasted traditional Saudi dishes,' Enayati told Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview. 'Jareesh –a dish made from cracked wheat and cooked with meat, spices, and vegetables– has become my favorite—I choose it over mandi and other dishes on any occasion.' According to the Iranian envoy, the two countries share more than just geography. 'There are many common dishes between Saudi Arabia and Iran,' he said. But food is only one layer of the ambassador's experience. Enayati, who has spent over two decades immersed in Middle East diplomacy, sees deep historical ties binding the region's peoples together. 'I recently read Al-Hadaqi, a novel about Al-Jahiz—Abu Uthman Amr ibn Bahr—and his life between Baghdad, Basra, and Iran. It left me with a strong sense that the relationships among peoples in this region go far back in history,' he said. 'Reading it felt like tracing our steps backward to better understand the present.' 'These are not new connections,' he added. 'We're not creating the relationship—we're nurturing what has always existed. The cultural and civilizational dialogue has never ceased.' His comments come against the backdrop of a thaw in relations between Tehran and Riyadh, after both sides agreed in March 2023—under Chinese mediation—to restore diplomatic ties following a seven-year rift. The ambassador pointed to culinary overlaps as another reflection of cultural convergence. 'Stews, for example, are common in both countries,' he said. 'Jareesh is part of Iranian culture too, as are lamb and camel meat. And as everyone knows, kebab originated in Iran, but it's also very popular here in the Kingdom.' Enayati has built his career around the region. 'I've spent more than 20 years working on regional affairs and never served outside this part of the world,' he said with a smile. 'I'm not sure if that's a strength or a limitation, but my focus has always been here.' Appointed to Riyadh as part of a diplomatic breakthrough, Enayati said he is proud to represent Iran in Saudi Arabia. 'It's a great honor. I dedicate my efforts to enhancing bilateral ties and supporting regional peace and stability.' Looking ahead, Enayati hopes to help build stronger cultural bridges—not only between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but across the broader region. 'Arabic and Persian cultures both occupy a distinguished place,' he said. 'We must deepen mutual understanding between them.' He concluded with a nod to Tehran's long-term vision for cooperation with Riyadh. 'Iran and Saudi Arabia are both pillars of regional stability,' he said. 'This region belongs to its people, and we view our relationship with the Kingdom through that lens.'
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Mahmoud Abbas praises Saudi support after Paris recognizes Palestinian statehood
RIYADH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas thanked Saudi Arabia for its efforts which contributed to a historic French commitment to recognizing Palestine as a state. The French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement on Thursday. 'This solution is the only path that can address the legitimate aspirations of both the Israelis and the Palestinians. It must now be brought about as quickly as possible,' said Macron in a letter to Abbas. 'The prospect of a negotiated solution to the conflict in the Middle East seems increasingly distant. I cannot resign myself to that,' he said. The Palestinian leader said the French move represented a victory for his people and urged other countries to take a similar stance to support a two-state solution to the decades long conflict. The Kingdom has long been a backer of Palestinian statehood and has repeatedly condemned Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. More than 140 countries already recognize Palestine as a state. Macron has said France will formally declare the recognition at the UN General Assembly in September.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
UN gathering eyes solution to deadlocked Palestinian question
UNITED NATIONS: Fired by France's imminent recognition of Palestinian statehood, UN members meet next week to breathe life into the push for a two-state solution as Israel, expected to be absent, presses its war in Gaza. Days before the July 28-30 conference on fostering Israeli and Palestinian states living peacefully side-by-side to be co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognize the State of Palestine in September. His declaration 'will breathe new life into a conference that seemed destined to irrelevance,' said Richard Gowan, an analyst at International Crisis Group. 'Macron's announcement changes the game. Other participants will be scrabbling to decide if they should also declare an intent to recognize Palestine.' According to an AFP database, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states — including France — now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988. In 1947, a resolution of the UN General Assembly decided on the partition of Palestine, then under a British mandate, into two independent states — one Jewish and the other Arab. The following year, the State of Israel was proclaimed, and for several decades, the vast majority of UN member states have supported the idea of a two-state solution: Israeli and Palestinian, living side-by-side peacefully and securely. But after more than 21 months of war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and senior Israeli officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could be geographically impossible. The war in Gaza started following a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel, which responded with a large-scale military response that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives. The New York conference is a response to the crisis, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and several dozen ministers from around the world expected to attend. The meeting comes as a two-state solution is 'more threatened than it has ever been (but) even more necessary than before, because we see very clearly that there is no alternative,' said a French diplomatic source. Beyond facilitating conditions for recognition of a Palestinian state, the meeting will have three other focuses — reform of the Palestinian Authority, disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from Palestinian public life, and normalization of relations with Israel by Arab states that have not yet done so. The diplomatic source warned that no announcement of new normalization deals was expected next week. Ahead of the conference, which was delayed from June, Britain said it would not recognize a Palestinian state unilaterally and would wait for 'a wider plan' for peace in the region. Macron has also not yet persuaded Germany to follow suit and recognize a Palestinian state in the short term. The conference 'offers a unique opportunity to transform international law and the international consensus into an achievable plan and to demonstrate resolve to end the occupation and conflict once and for all, for the benefit of all peoples,' said the Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, calling for 'courage' from participants. Israel and the United States will not take part in the meeting. Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon 'has announced that Israel will not be taking part in this conference, which doesn't first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages,' according to embassy spokesman Jonathan Harounoff. As international pressure continues to mount on Israel to end nearly two years of war in Gaza, the humanitarian catastrophe in the ravaged coastal territory is expected to dominate speeches by representatives of more than 100 countries as they take to the podium from Monday to Wednesday. Gowan said he expected 'very fierce criticism of Israel.' abd-gw/aks
