The Saudi Embassy in Washington has sent around this press release, but it’s not yet posted on the Embassy’s website.

The level of anger directed at Israel is climbing on the Saudi street. Both English-language dailies front-page photos of a child killed in a recent attack. As I’ve noted before, there is nothing quite like the photos of a child killed as the result of military action to shift mental gears from reason to emotion.

SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER URGES UN SECURITY COUNCIL
TO END VIOLENCE IN GAZA

NEW YORK [January 6, 2009] – Attending a special session by the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in Gaza, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal urged the council to take swift action to end the violence. “It is the responsibility of the Council to end conflicts as soon as possible, and the current conflict in Gaza should be no exception,” stated Prince Saud. “

The Council has not yet taken concrete action. This raises questions about its credibility and the whole system of international peace and security.”

The violence has entered a twelfth day, with the Palestinian death toll nearing 600 and thousands more injured. The Arab League, under the Chairmanship of Prince Saud Al-Faisal, has held emergency meetings and taken action to provide critical humanitarian support to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Today, the Arab League presented a resolution to the UN Security Council that provides a framework to resolve the crisis. It includes an immediate cease fire, the opening of passages, the establishment of monitoring mechanisms, and the return to agreements previously entered into. Prince Saud urged his counterparts on the Security Council, “to adopt these measures immediately.”