Middle-East

No ties with Israel without independent Palestinian state, Saudi Arabia says

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) receiving US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Riyadh on February 5, 2024. (Photo: Saudi Press Agency)

By Foreign Reporter | Wednesday, February 7, 2024

White House had earlier said that the Biden administration hds received positive feedback that Saudi Arabia and Israel are willing to continue normalisation discussions.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has told the United States that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognised based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and Israeli aggression on the Gaza strip stops.

The carefully worded statement released on Wednesday by Saudi’s foreign ministry sinks Prime Minister Netanyahu’s idea of normalisation without a Palestinian state.

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On Tuesday, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said that the Biden administration has received positive feedback that Saudi Arabia and Israel are willing to continue normalisation discussions.

Riyadh issued the statement to affirm its position to Washington on the Palestinian cause in the light of the comments attributed to Kirby, the ministry said.

“Regarding the discussions between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America on the Arab-Israeli peace process, and in light of what has been attributed to the US National Security Council spokesperson, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been steadfast on the Palestinian issue and the necessity that the brotherly Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights,” the statement asserts.

Humanitarian aid

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met America's top diplomat, Anthony Blinken in Riyadh on Monday to discuss efforts to increase urgent humanitarian aid and ensure it gets to those who need it in Gaza, said Blinken on an X post.

Israeli PM and other officials have repeatedly shot down the prospect of a Palestinian state.

Last year US President Joe Biden said the Israeli government “doesn’t want a two-state solution.”

In 2020, four Arab countries- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan acknowledged Israel through a series of treaties known as the Abraham Accords, bypassing the longstanding Arab demand on a Palestinian state.

Since then, the Biden administration has been endeavouring to persuade Saudi Arabia, widely seen as the leader of the Muslim world, to do the same.

This move could potentially pave the way for other Muslim nations to recognise Israel.

The establishment of a Palestinian state has been Riyadh’s official stance for two decades.