In a major statement regarding Saudi Arabia’s potential recognition of Israel, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the kingdom might consider such a move under the condition of a comprehensive agreement, including statehood for the Palestinians.
The statement has come at a time when Israel continues to kill thousands of innocent Palestinians. During the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Saudi minister told a panel they agreed that regional peace includes peace for Israel.
However, Prince Faisal added that it could only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state. In response to a question about whether Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel as part of a broader political agreement, he said, “Certainly.”
Furthermore, the Saudi Foreign Minister disclosed that achieving regional peace through the establishment of a Palestinian state is something they have been “working on with the U.S. administration, and it is more relevant in the context of Gaza”.
Securing a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia would be a significant achievement for Israel, following its establishment of diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. Such an agreement could potentially transform the geopolitics of the Middle East.
According to reports, Saudi Arabia halted U.S.-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel when fighting broke out between Israeli forces and Hamas in October.
Sources have told a foreign media outlet that the U.S.-backed talks on normalizing Saudi-Israel ties would experience some delay. This step is viewed as essential for the kingdom to secure what it considers the ultimate prize – a U.S. defense pact in exchange.
