Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Stance Against Israel Normalization Without Palestinian Statehood

Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Stance Against Israel Normalization Without Palestinian Statehood

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Saudi Arabia has once again reiterated its firm stance against normalizing relations with Israel in the absence of a two-state solution, following remarks by President Donald Trump suggesting otherwise. According to a report on Wednesday in The Times of Israel, Riyadh swiftly issued a statement rejecting the notion that it had dropped its long-standing demand for Palestinian statehood as a precondition for peace with Israel.

In a statement released by the Saudi foreign ministry, the kingdom made clear that its position remains “firm and unwavering.” According to The Times of Israel, Saudi Arabia continues to advocate for the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This declaration comes in response to Trump’s assertion that Saudi Arabia had not made Palestinian statehood a requirement for normalizing ties with Israel.

The timing of the statement was significant. The report in the Times of Israel noted that the message was issued after 4 a.m. local time in Riyadh, calling attention to the urgency with which the kingdom felt compelled to clarify its position. The statement also referenced Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s speech from September 2024, in which he unequivocally stated that Riyadh would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel unless this condition was met.

Notably, the statement did not mention Trump by name. As The Times of Israel report pointed out, Saudi Arabia, like many nations, is treading carefully to avoid publicly challenging the U.S. president at the outset of his second term. However, the kingdom made it clear that it had communicated its stance against normalization without Palestinian statehood not only to the previous U.S. administration but also to the current one.

Trump played a pivotal role in reshaping Middle Eastern diplomacy during his first administration, facilitating Israel’s normalization of ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco under the Abraham Accords. According to the report in The Times of Israel, this groundbreaking diplomatic achievement fueled speculation that Saudi Arabia—the Arab world’s wealthiest nation and the custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites—might be the next to establish formal ties with Israel.

Despite Riyadh’s public insistence on this precondition, The Times of Israel reported that many analysts and non-Saudi officials have expressed skepticism. These experts suggest that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has demonstrated more flexibility in private discussions. Rather than demanding an immediate Palestinian state, some believe Saudi Arabia is open to the idea of a clear and irreversible pathway to statehood as a step toward normalizing relations with Israel.

However, The Times of Israel report highlighted that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has intensified Saudi Arabia’s stance on the issue. The conflict has propelled the Palestinian cause back to the forefront of international diplomacy, making it more politically difficult for Riyadh to publicly shift its position. In this context, Saudi leaders have emphasized the need for concrete progress on Palestinian statehood before moving forward with normalization.

Meanwhile, Trump’s comments about Saudi-Israel normalization came during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House. During their meeting, Netanyahu expressed confidence that peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia was not only possible but inevitable. “If Trump had another half-year of his first term, it would already have happened,” Netanyahu claimed, according to The Times of Israel.

The Israeli leader reaffirmed his commitment to achieving normalization, adding that he believes Saudi leaders share that same goal. “I’m committed to achieving it. And I know the president is committed to achieving it. And I think the Saudi leadership is interested in achieving it,” Netanyahu stated. He concluded with a confident declaration: “We’ll give it a good shot, and I think we’ll succeed.”

However, Saudi Arabia has yet to officially recognize Israel. The Times of Israel reported that since 2020, the kingdom has been in negotiations over a potential rapprochement with Israel in exchange for a security pact with the United States and American assistance in developing a civilian nuclear program. These high-stakes discussions were seen as a possible gateway to broader regional peace and deeper economic cooperation.

According to the information in The Times of Israel report, the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Israel were dramatically derailed by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. Riyadh, facing widespread Arab and Muslim outrage over Israel’s military response in Gaza, decided to shelve normalization talks, making clear that any further discussions would depend on Israel’s handling of the Palestinian issue.

The Gaza conflict has reignited Arab-world solidarity with the Palestinian cause, making it politically untenable for Saudi Arabia to proceed with diplomatic recognition of Israel at this time. The Times of Israel report highlighted that while Saudi Arabia had previously signaled openness to normalization under specific conditions, the war has drastically shifted regional dynamics.

Trump suggested the United States “take over” the Gaza Strip and relocate its Palestinian population elsewhere. His remarks, made during the joint press conference, have been met with strong opposition from Palestinian leaders and Hamas.

Riyad Mansour, the UN envoy representing the Palestinian Authority (PA), condemned Trump’s proposal and urged world leaders to respect the Palestinian people’s right to remain in Gaza. According to the report in The Times of Israel, Mansour stated, “Our homeland is our homeland. If part of it is destroyed, the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian people selected the choice to return to it.”

While Mansour did not explicitly name Trump, his remarks were widely interpreted as a direct rejection of the president’s plan. The Times of Israel further reported that Mansour emphasized that Palestinians view Gaza as an integral part of their homeland, dismissing any notions of permanent displacement. “We have no home. For those who want to send them to a happy, nice place, let them go back to their original homes inside Israel, there are nice places there, and they will be happy to return to these places,” he argued.

Hamas’ Response to Accusations of Forced Expulsion

Hamas, the Iranian-backed terrorist group that governs the Gaza Strip, also denounced Trump’s proposal. The Times of Israel quoted Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri as warning that any efforts to forcibly relocate Gaza’s population would be met with fierce resistance. “We consider them a recipe for generating chaos and tension in the region because the people of Gaza will not allow such plans to pass,” Abu Zuhri declared.

The condemnation from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority reflects the deeply rooted rejection of any proposals that seek to alter Gaza’s demographics or political status. The Times of Israel report emphasized that Trump’s remarks have reignited fears of a second Nakba, referencing the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948.