- Saudi Arabia demands Palestinian statehood. It requires recognition on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as capital.
- Saudi Arabia is open to normalisation with Israel, contingent on a Gaza resolution and a clear path to a Palestinian state.
Saudi Arabia has reiterated to the United States that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is acknowledged on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to its foreign ministry on Wednesday.
Riyadh also restated its call for permanent members of the U.N. Security Council who have not recognized a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital to do so, the ministry stated.
This refers to a state Palestinians have long sought to establish alongside Israel in territories Israel occupied in a 1967 war: the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The statement emphasized that “Israeli aggression” against the Gaza Strip must cease and Israeli forces must withdraw from the territory.
The United States had led months of diplomacy to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel and recognize the country until the Gaza war erupted in October, prompting Riyadh to defer the matter amid Arab outrage over Israel’s offensive.
Last week, it was reported that Saudi Arabia would be open to accepting a political commitment from Israel to establish a Palestinian state, rather than anything more binding, in an effort to secure approval for a defense pact with Washington before this year’s U.S. presidential election.
During his visit to the region, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had “reiterated Saudi Arabia’s strong interest in pursuing” normalization when they met this week.
“But he also made clear what he had said to me before, which is that in order to do that two things are required: an end to the conflict in Gaza and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Blinken said.
On Tuesday, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby indicated that the Biden administration has received encouraging signals that Saudi Arabia and Israel are willing to continue discussions on normalisation.
MINISTRY STATEMENT
The Saudi foreign ministry statement said the "Kingdom has communicated its firm position to the U.S. administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognised on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital". It reiterated "its call to the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council that have not yet recognized the Palestinian state, to expedite the recognition of the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that he will not compromise on full Israeli security west of the Jordan River, which contradicts the establishment of a Palestinian state. Countries including the United States and Britain have reiterated their support for the two-state solution.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated last week that there would come a time when Britain would consider recognising a Palestinian state, potentially at the United Nations.
The sentiments among Muslims globally are imbued with profound disgust over Saudi Arabia’s decision to engage in normalisation agreements with a genocidal authority, known for its recurrent violations of international law. Additionally, there is a sense of bewilderment surrounding Saudi Arabia’s affiliation with a deeply corrupt Knesset, culpable for the tragic massacre and ethnic cleansing of their Muslim brothers.
Furthermore, most Muslims and numerous Palestinian activists oppose the concept of a two-state solution, citing the entire region as illegally occupied and appropriated land.
