‘Certainly’: Saudi Arabia Says it Will Recognize Israel but There Are Riders

Saudi Arabian foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the kingdom could recognise Israel only if a comprehensive agreement is reached that includes statehood for the Palestinians.

The talks come as Israelis and Palestinians marked 100 days of war last week. “We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that could only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

When asked if Saudi Arabia would then recognise Israel as part of a wider political agreement, Prince Faisal bin Farhan replied: “Certainly”.

“There is a pathway towards a much better future for the region, for the Palestinians, and for Israel, that is peace, and we are fully committed to that,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency.

He further explained that the aim of securing regional peace by creating a Palestinian state was also being discussed with the Americans. “(It is) something we have been indeed working on with the US administration, and it is more relevant in the context of Gaza,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The Saudi foreign minister also highlighted that a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war is necessary and could be a first step towards sustainable peace.

“(A) ceasefire on all sides should be a starting point for permanent sustainable peace, which can only happen through justice to the Palestinian people,” he said.

However, the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on several occasions maintained that he will not make significant concessions to the Palestinians as part of any potential normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.

If Saudi Arabia and Israel secure a normalisation deal it will be a major achievement for the country. It earlier established diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco and these agreements could change the geopolitics of West Asia.

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim kingdom, is the most powerful country in the Arab world and home to the most sacred sites in Islam. The nation has considerable religious clout across the globe.

Saudi Arabia put its plans to normalise relations with Israel in deep freeze following the eruption of the Israel-Hamas war last year as it reordered its diplomatic priorities, according to Reuters.

Saudis are also eyeing a US defence pact in exchange of normalising ties with Israel, according to the news agency.