King Salman has stressed the Kingdom’s firm stand with all its potentials to combat terrorism and dry up its sources. Addressing the Cabinet session on Monday at Al-Salaam Palace in Jeddah, King Salman appreciated the role of the US in leading the global coalition to fight and eliminate the Daesh terrorist organization.
In this context, King Salman congratulated Iraqi Premier Haider Al-Abbadi on their victory over Daesh in Mosul. The Cabinet then explored recent developments and, in this context, lauded the joint statement issued by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain and their continuation of their current measures until the Qatari authorities are committed to meeting all demands requested by the four countries that will achieve stability and security in the region.
The Cabinet welcomed the resolutions adopted by the 48th ordinary session of the Council of Arab Information Ministers in Cairo, and their emphasis on solidarity to confront terrorism and dry up its sources as well as the need to continue efforts and coordination at regional and global levels to defeat and stamp it out.
Also at the regional level, the Cabinet expressed deep concern over the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli occupation authorities which, the Cabinet said, constituted a flagrant offense to Muslim sentiments around the world. Such an act is a dangerous development that will further complicate the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, it said.
The Cabinet called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility and put an end to such practices. The Cabinet expressed the Kingdom’s condemnation of the terror acts in Egypt and Pakistan. On the local front, the Cabinet considered the granting of an honorary doctorate in the field of serving the Holy Qur’an by Imam Mohammed Islamic University to King Salman an appreciation for his efforts and ongoing support for the Holy Qur’an and his services to Islam.
The Cabinet praised the activities of the 11th session of Souq Okaz under the theme of “Okaz Renewable Creativity” and supervised by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.
On the other hand, Saudi King Salman is said to have personally intervened with top US officials to ensure the reopening of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. According to a report in Elaph online portal, the king spoke with top US officials seeking the holy mosque’s reopening.
The report quotes a senior source as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised US officials that he had decided to restore the status quo at the mosque which is what the Muslim world and the residents of Jerusalem have been demanding.   
According to Elaph, Netanyahu has invited Saudi officials to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque and to assess first-hand the situation on the ground. Arab News has sought a response from the White House in order to confirm the report. Meanwhile, the Saudi Cabinet expressed deep concern over the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation authorities.