Russia accuses US of promoting ties between Israel and Arabs before Israeli-Palestinian peace deal

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia is accusing the United States of promoting Israel’s normalization of relations with Arab nations and circumventing an Arab initiative launched by Saudi Arabia in 2002, which calls for a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before any diplomatic recognition of Israel. The statement by Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia at Wednesday’s U.N. Security Council’s monthly Mideast meeting also implicitly criticized Saudi Arabia — without naming it — for moving toward establishing diplomatic relations with Israel while the country is taking “aggressive illegal actions.” Nebenzia said normalization efforts stymie “any prospects for reviving direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis” to achieve peace.