Saudi Arabia reaffirms commitment to Palestinian statehood

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Saudi Foreign Ministry
5 Feb 2025 05:43

Following Trump's remarks, Saudi Arabia reaffirms its commitment to Palestinian statehood, rejecting normalization with "Israel" unless key conditions are met.

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Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan heads the Saudi delegation at the Arab Six-Party Consultative Meeting, hosted by Egypt, on February 1, 2025. (@KSAmofaEN/X)

Saudi Arabia has once again affirmed its steadfast stance on Palestinian statehood, underscoring that any diplomatic normalization with "Israel" hinges on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East al-Quds as its capital.

This position, first emphasized by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), was reaffirmed in recent high-profile speeches and remains central to the Kingdom’s foreign policy, as revealed by a statement released by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

On September 18, 2024, during the opening session of the Shura Council's ninth term, MBS made clear that Saudi Arabia would not establish diplomatic relations with "Israel" without the fulfillment of Palestinian rights, including the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, the Foreign Ministry revealed.

The statement added that MBS reiterated this stance at the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh on November 11, 2024.

The ministry also affirmed its "rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land."

"The international community has a duty today to alleviate the severe humanitarian suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain steadfast on their land and will not move from it," the ministry underlined.

"Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current U.S. administration," the ministry concluded.

The statement was released just after United States President Donald Trump told reporters that Riyadh is not seeking Palestinian statehood as a condition of normalization, as he received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House. A short while after the two officials met, both Trump and Netanyahu refrained from reaffirming the previous statement, leaving the issue unresolved.