Saudi Arabia will not pursue normalization with Israel absent the creation of a Palestinian state, the kingdom’s top diplomat said on Monday, according to Bloomberg.
Speaking at a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot at the United Nations, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan declared that normalization “can only come through the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
“That position remains the same, and it is based on a strong conviction that only through the establishment of a Palestinian state and only through addressing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination can we have sustainable peace and real integration in the region,” he stated.
Saudi officials have long stated that a Palestinian state would be a condition for Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel.
Saudi Arabia and Israel 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.
Earlier this month, Prince Faisal was asked about the possibility of the kingdom normalizing ties with Israel and said that Saudi Arabia’s current priority is reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
His latest remarks came days after French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for France to recognize Palestinian statehood by September.
The comments also come amid ongoing US efforts, led by President Donald Trump, to secure a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman recently held a confidential meeting at the White House with Trump and senior officials.
According to Fox News, the talks addressed steps toward possible normalization with Israel, though that was not the primary focus of the meeting.
Prince Faisal noted the situation in the Strip in his comments on Monday, stating: “There is no credibility to have a conversation about normalization with constant death and suffering and destruction in Gaza.”