ARAB AFFAIRS - Mar 13 - Hamas Wins Pledge Of Support From Saudi Arabia.

A visiting Hamas delegation says it has been assured of Saudi Arabia's continued political and financial support despiteUS-led moves to isolate the group. FM Prince Saud Al Faisal told the movement's overall leader Khaled Meshaal in talks on Mar 11 that Riyadh "stands by its commitment to support the Palestinian people politically and financially", Hamas delegate Ezzat Al Reshq said. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government, but the Hamas delegation's statements meshed with Faisal's own announcement on Feb 22 that the desert kingdom would not cut funding to a Hamas-led PA. Reshq hailed the Saudi authorities for resisting the US-led pressure to isolate the movement after its January election upset and to cut funding for a new Hamas-led government. But he would not be drawn on whether the Saudi side had urged Hamas to accept a Saudi-authored Arab peace plan based on a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Reshq said: The Arab initiative adopted at the [2002 Arab] summit in Beirut was spurned by Israel. One day after it was endorsed by the summit, [Israeli PM Ariel] Sharon invaded the West Bank". "Israel rejected the plan ... and ignored all [peace] initiatives", he said when asked if Prince Saud had advised Hamas to consider the peace plan, under which Arab states offered Israel normal ties in exchange for its pullout from territories occupied in 1967. "We listened to the advice and observations of the [Saudi] brethren and there is mutual understanding", Reshq said. Arab leaders are expected to discuss the new situation in the Middle East following Hamas' election win during a summit in Khartoum on March 28-29, which will also coincide with Israel's election. It is expected to be received by King Abdullah during its three-day visit. Reshq said the Hamas leaders briefed Prince Saud during a two-hour "fruitful" meeting on the group's efforts to form "a government based on a national coalition and national unity". They also outlined "Hamas' vision for the upcoming political phase and ... for dealing with the international situation", he said. Reshq said the Hamas delegation did not go into specific aid figures. "We are fully confident that the kingdom, as well as [other] Arab and Islamic states, will stand by the Palestinian people", he said.