Saudi Arabia open to full ties with Israel, on condition of Palestine state: Saudi FM

Saudi Arabia remains open to fully normalize ties with Israel on the condition of Palestinian statehood, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday.

Following the UAE and Bahrain’s decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, there has been broad speculation that Saudi Arabia would soon follow. But for the Kingdom, Palestinian statehood remains a prerequisite to normalization.

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“We’ve always been open to full normalization with Israel, and we think Israel will take its place in the region, but in order for that to happen, and for it to be sustainable, we do need the Palestinians to get their state and we need to settle that situation,” Prince Faisal said, speaking at the International Institute for Security Studies Manama Conference on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump speaks as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani listen before the signing of the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and some of its Middle East neighbors, in Washington, US, September 15, 2020. (Reuters)

Prince Faisal said that getting Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table is key, adding that a “Palestinian state will deliver true peace in the region, and that should be the focus.”

In September, the Abraham Accords were signed on the White House lawn in Washington, DC, formalizing the historic peace agreement between the two Gulf states and Israel that was brokered by the US.

The UAE announced its deal to normalize ties with Israel in June before Bahrain followed suit. The most reacent deal means that four Arab states now recognize Israel after Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties in 1979 and 1994.

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