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Rabat – Saudi Arabia has reiterated its firm position against normalizing relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Saudi announcement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave on Tuesday a strong indication of his high hopes for the normalization of ties with Riyadh during a press conference with US President Donald Trump.
“I think peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not feasible, I think it’s going to happen,” Netanyahu said.
During the same conference, Trump made yet another controversial remark on Gaza as he announced discussing with Middle Eastern leaders a proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.
“The other leaders love the idea,” he claimed, referring to regional leaders.
In response to Netanyahu’s claims, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country’s position is clear and remains unchanged. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Read also: Saudi Crown Prince Says Normalization with Israel Is ‘Getting Closer’
The statement recalled the royal family’s clear and unequivocal stances, supporting Palestine’s independence based on the 1967 borders and an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
This position is “non-negotiable” and “not subject to compromises,” the Saudi statement noted, stressing: “Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining the former and current U.S. administrations.”
The Gulf country has made similar remarks on numerous occasions in recent years and months, repeatedly dismissing reports that the new Saudi leadership was eager to sign the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords that saw a number of Arab countries normalize ties with Israel.
And while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salma said in September 2023 that his country had engaged in normalization talks with Israel, he insisted that Saudi conditions had not changed.
“Every day, we get closer,” he said in an interview with Fox News as he reaffirmed his country’s conditions for signing a normalization deal.
“We need to solve that part … we got to see where we go,” the Saudi prince emphasized. “We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of Palestinians, and get Israel as a player in the Middle East.”
