Saudi Arabia: ‘No normalisation with Israel without Palestine state’

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud announced on Thursday that there would be no normalisation of ties with Israel without a Palestinian state, news agencies reported.

“We have said consistently that we believe normalisation with Israel is something that is very much in the interest of the region,” he told Bloomberg TV during an interview held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

But he stressed: “True normalisation and true stability will only come through giving the Palestinians hope, through giving the Palestinians dignity.”

According to Bloomberg, the foreign minister said an agreement to create a Palestinian state would be a precondition to establishing formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

Israel normalised ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Morocco in 2020. The deal, known as the Abraham Accords, was signed in a bid to normalise diplomatic relations, establish economic agreements and support social exchanges.

READ: Netanyahu says he discussed Saudi Arabia with White House’s Sullivan

Following the Abraham Accords, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been working hard to forge official ties with Saudi Arabia.

When he met with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday, he discussed several issues with him, including reaching a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia.