Saudi Arabia has firmly rejected pressure from US President Donald Trump and refused to establish formal diplomatic ties with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is created.
According to an AFP report, both President Trump and former President Joe Biden have supported the idea of Saudi-Israel relations. However, Saudi Arabia stated on Wednesday that it will not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry emphasized this stance in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Saudi Arabia will continue its efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state and will not formalize ties with Israel without this condition.”
This statement came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed optimism about normalization with Saudi Arabia, calling it “feasible” and likely to happen. Netanyahu made these remarks during a meeting with Trump at the White House.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia paused preliminary talks on normalization following the escalation of the Gaza conflict and has since taken a stronger position on the issue.
In 2020, the Trump administration brokered agreements that led Israel to establish diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Bahrain. However, Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy and guardian of Islam’s holiest sites, remains firm on its conditions for peace.
Netanyahu’s government continues to oppose the internationally supported two-state solution, further complicating the prospects of normalization with Saudi Arabia.
