Establishing Palestinian State Required Before Normalizing Ties with Israel: Saudi FM

On Saturday, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the establishment of a Palestinian state is required before the Kingdom can normalize ties with Israel.

During his speech at the International Institute for Security Studies Manama Conference, Prince Faisal added, ‘For Saudi, it is critical that to get the Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table; that is the only way to bring about a lasting regional peace."

The Saudi foreign minister has recenpztly said, in a virtual interview on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit, that Riyadh is open to full ties with Israel on the condition that the rights of the Palestinians are guaranteed.

“We’ve always been open to full normalization with Israel, and we think Israel will take its place in the region, but in order for that to happen, and for it to be sustainable, we do need the Palestinians to get their state and we need to settle that situation,” Prince Faisal noted.

In September, the Abraham Accords were signed on the White House lawn in Washington, DC, formalizing the historic peace agreement between the two Gulf states and Israel that was brokered by the US.

The UAE announced its deal to normalize ties with Israel in June before Bahrain followed suit. The most recent deal means that four Arab states now recognize Israel after Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties in 1979 and 1994.