By HRH Princess Fahda bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Published in Okaz Newspaper – Saturday, 3 Jumada I 1423 AH (Issue 1310)
The Palestinian cause has been the most significant issue threatening relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America from the period of World War II until today. As a global power with growing bases and interests in the Middle East, the United States began to play an active role in the Palestinian question following the withdrawal of British colonial influence from the Arab arena.
King Abdulaziz—may God have mercy on him—opposed the Zionist movement as the leader of a state with deep Islamic significance in the hearts of Muslims. He stood firmly against Jewish immigration to Palestine in 1942, following the Zionist conference in Baltimore that called for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, which was followed by increased Jewish migration to the region. King Abdulaziz threatened both Britain and the United States with severing relations if they supported this project. This prompted President Roosevelt to send his envoy, Colonel Hoskins, to investigate the situation. Hoskins met the King on 14 August 1943, and the outcome of that meeting was Roosevelt’s request to discuss the Palestinian issue with King Abdulaziz personally.
The historic meeting between King Abdulaziz and President Roosevelt took place in the final phase of World War II, in February 1945 (1364 AH). During this meeting, the foundations of Saudi‑American relations were laid. Roosevelt later reaffirmed his commitments to King Abdulaziz in a letter dated 5 April 1945, just one week before his death, promising the following:
- That he, as President of the United States, would not undertake any hostile action against the Arabs.
- That the U.S. government would not alter its fundamental policy regarding the Palestinian issue without prior consultations with both Arabs and Jews.
After Roosevelt’s death, President Truman assumed office and shifted the American position on Palestine. Truman supported the settlement of 100,000 Jewish immigrants in Palestine, contradicting Roosevelt’s earlier assurances to King Abdulaziz. This led to the resignation of the American ambassador to Saudi Arabia in May 1946 and caused significant tension between the two countries.
Soon afterward, the most dangerous consequences of Zionist efforts to establish a national homeland in Palestine erupted on the world stage. This prompted Arab leaders to convene the Anshas Conference in Egypt on 28 May 1946 (1366 AH) at the invitation of King Farouk to discuss the crisis. Saudi Arabia was represented by Crown Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz on behalf of his father, King Abdulaziz. The conference was attended by President Shukri al‑Quwatli of Syria, King Abdullah of Jordan, Prince Abd al‑Ilah of Iraq, Lebanese President Bechara El‑Khoury, and Prince Sayf al‑Islam bin Yahya of Yemen.
The conference declared that the Palestinian cause was not merely the cause of the Palestinians but the cause of all Arabs. It condemned the British government’s position, which further deepened King Saud’s involvement and understanding of the issue—especially since he had previously undertaken an official visit in 1935 to Egypt, Transjordan, and Palestine. That mission included Fuad Hamza, Medhat Sheikh al‑Ard, Khairuddin al‑Zarkali, and Saleh al‑Ali, and was part of King Abdulaziz’s desire to support the Arabs of Palestine, assess their conditions, and provide assistance.
His reception in Palestine was grand. He prayed at Al‑Aqsa Mosque and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. When he visited the village of Anabta in Tulkarm, the martyr Abdulrahim Hammoud recited a poem before him. Upon reaching the following verse:
“Al‑Aqsa Mosque—have you come to visit it,
or have you come too early to bid it farewell?”
the emotional weight of the moment became clear.