Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its stance to the United States, asserting that it will not engage in diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as stated by its foreign ministry on Wednesday.
In addition, Riyadh reiterated its call for permanent members of the U.N. Security Council who have not acknowledged a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem as its capital, to do so, according to the ministry’s statement.
This pertains to the longstanding Palestinian aspiration to establish a state alongside Israel in territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war, encompassing the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The statement emphasized the necessity for an end to “Israeli aggression” against the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
Despite months of diplomatic efforts led by the United States to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel and recognize the country, the matter has been deferred by Riyadh following the eruption of the Gaza war in October, amid Arab condemnation over Israel’s offensive.
Recent reports indicated that Saudi Arabia may be receptive to a political commitment from Israel to establish a Palestinian state, rather than a more binding agreement, in order to secure approval for a defense pact with Washington before the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
During his recent visit to the region, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had reiterated the kingdom’s keen interest in pursuing normalization when they met this week.
“However, he also reiterated his previous stance, emphasizing that two conditions are necessary: an end to the conflict in Gaza and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Blinken explained.
White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby indicated on Tuesday that the Biden administration has received positive indications that Saudi Arabia and Israel are willing to continue discussions on normalization. It seems that Saudi Arabia took issue with the spokesperson’s statement.
