Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UK, Prince Khalid bin Bandar, says that Saudi Arabia will not normalize its relations with Israel without a solution for the Palestinian Arabs, which involves the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Speaking to Times Radio, Prince Khalid said, “Saudi Arabia is a country that engages with everyone, whether we like it or not. We believe engagement is the way to move things forward, and so we are happy to continuously engage in processes with anyone, but we do have some red lines, and for us to end the last 75 years of pain and suffering caused by one problem has to include a Palestinian state.”

Asked whether he thinks that solution is feasible, given some of the comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in his cabinet, the Saudi Ambassador replied, “I mean, it's difficult, otherwise, we'd have been there. We would have found the solution. But let's not forget, this plot of land has been fought over consistently for 6,000 years. It is not an easy thing to find, whether it's during the Crusades, before every civilization on earth, certainly in the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe has fought over the same plot of land. I can't think of anywhere that's had that much done to it.”

“So it isn't easy,” he continued, “but good things are never easy. And anyone who is objecting to what almost the whole world sees as the solution cannot be right. So, you know, again, that's why I'm not optimistic, because we have a lot of problems in the way.”

Prince Khalid asserted that “there's no other solution” other than a two-state solution but added, “We also have to remember, there's another side, we have to find a solution that fits the Israelis. That adds a level of complication, particularly with the current government in Israel, but I think we have to address, when someone is struggling through emotion and trauma and difficulty, which both the Israelis and the Palestinians have been for the last year, you have to hold them, you have to be kind to them, you have to be soft with them, but you also have to be very straight, and we have to be more straight with the Israelis and say, look, this is the only option.”

Saudi Arabia has been more critical of Israel in recent months, after the two countries appeared to be on track towards normalization before Hamas’ attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. After the massacre, Saudi Arabia put the US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice.

In September, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that an "independent Palestinian state" was essential for normalization. In subsequent comments, he characterized Israel's military operation in Gaza as "genocide".

In an interview last month, then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he believes there is a path towards normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but added that the Saudis have not changed their stance that such a path must include a Palestinian state.