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Saudi FM: No Israel normalization without a path to Palestinian state

Monday, 22 January 2024 6:45 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 22 January 2024 7:01 PM ]

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has said the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the remarks in an interview with CNN late Sunday.

“We need stability, and stability will only come through resolving the Palestinian issue,” the foreign minister said.

“That's the only way we're going to get the benefit.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the minister said the centerpiece of Saudi Arabia’s agenda is the de-escalation of the conflict in Gaza and halting civilian casualties.

“What we are seeing is the Israelis are crushing Gaza, the civilian population of Gaza,” he said. “This is completely unnecessary, completely unacceptable and has to stop.”

Prince Faisal made a similar statement in the recent past when he attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Palestinian statehood. The head of the regime is talking of plans for open-ended military control over Gaza.

US frantic bids to broker Saudi-Israel normalization proves exercise in futility

Joe Biden administration’s frantic bid to convince Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with the Israeli regime has proved an exercise in futility, especially in the wake of the diplomacy drive sweeping the Persian Gulf region.

In October 2023, there were reports that Saudi Arabia had reconsidered its foreign policy priorities in the wake of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza by postponing a US-brokered normalization deal with the regime.

Israeli and Saudi authorities had earlier been claiming they were moving steadily towards such a deal. But the Israeli aggression proved otherwise.

Saudi Arabia puts normalization with Israel ‘on ice’, engages with Iran amid Gaza war: Report

Saudi Arabia has reportedly delayed talks on normalization with Israel and is instead engaging Iran amid Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Washington, Israel’s great benefactor, has also been casting its veto against the United Nations Security Council resolutions that call on the regime to cease hostilities.

The United States remains unwilling to draw any red lines for Israel, which has killed more than 25,000 people in Gaza since early October.

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