Saudi Arabia names condition for doing business with Israel

There can be no normalization of relations between Riyadh and West Jerusalem without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced.

The prince has previously said that US-backed talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel were close to a solution, before the Gaza conflict broke out last October.

“The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” bin Salman said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

He also condemned the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” against the Palestinian people.

According to two anonymous sources who spoke to Reuters, the “normalization” of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel is seen as the prerequisite for Riyadh securing a defense pact with Washington.

Bin Salman’s announcement came just before the UN General Assembly was set to vote on a resolution demanding the end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. 

Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, called the draft resolution “diplomatic terrorism” and criticized it for not denouncing the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas out of Gaza. The US envoy, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, argued against the resolution as well.

The resolution called on Israel to “bring to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” no later than 12 months from now, and make reparations to Palestinians for damages caused by the occupation. It was adopted with 124 votes in favor, 12 opposed and 43 abstaining.

Israel blamed the Hamas incursion for the deaths of 1,200 people and said another 250 were taken hostage. According to the health ministry of the enclave, over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations since then, while more than 95,000 have been wounded.