2024-01-16 13:27:20
On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan raised the possibility of the Kingdom recognizing Israel and linking this to finding a solution to the Palestinian issue.
In response to a question posed during a dialogue session on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, whether Saudi Arabia might take this step as part of a broader agreement following resolving the conflict, Faisal bin Farhan said, “Certainly.”
The minister stated in his statements that the Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea are linked to the war in Gaza, stressing that the Kingdom’s priority is to find a way to reduce the escalation through a ceasefire in Gaza.
He considered that “continuing suffering in Gaza will lead to continued cycles of escalation.”
Faisal bin Farhan added, “Peace and security for Israel are linked to peace and security for the Palestinians, and the Kingdom supports that,” and said: “Regional peace includes peace for both Israelis and Palestinians and the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
The Saudi Foreign Minister said that what Israel is doing now “endangers the prospects for regional peace and security,” stressing that “there is a path to a better future for the region for both the Israeli and Palestinian parties, and the first step to achieving that is a ceasefire.”
During his tour of the Middle East last week, which included Saudi Arabia and Israel, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that normalization talks are continuing and “there is a clear interest in the region in pursuing this.”
“With regard to integration and normalization, yes, we actually talked regarding that at every stop, including of course here in Saudi Arabia,” Blinken told reporters in Saudi Arabia before heading to Israel.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a few days ago, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom, Prince Khaled bin Bandar Al Saud, said that “there is certainly interest” in normalizing relations, adding, “There has been interest since 1982.”
It may come at a “higher price”… Saudi Arabia “does not rule out” normalization with Israel
Just weeks before Hamas launched its attack on Israeli territory on October 7, Saudi Arabia said it was close to normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel, and despite the passage of three months of war that angered the Arab world, Riyadh indicated that recognition of Israel may be on the table. The table, but at a “higher price,” according to a CNN report.
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