Top Saudi diplomat: No normalization with Israel without path to Palestinian state

RIYADH (Agencies): Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said there can be no normalization of ties with Israel without resolving the Palestinian issue, he told CNN in an interview that aired on Sunday.

Asked if there could be no normal ties without a path to a credible and irreversible Palestinian state, Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria: “That’s the only way we’re going to get the benefit. So, yes, because we need stability and only stability will come through the resolving the Palestinian issue.”

The foreign minister’s remarks were part of an interview originally taped on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum held last week in Davos, Switzerland, and aired Sunday on CNN.

De-escalation of the conflict in Gaza and halting civilian deaths is a key focus of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal said.

“What we are seeing is the Israelis are crushing Gaza, the civilian population of Gaza,” he said. “This is completely unnecessary, completely unacceptable and has to stop.”

The local health ministry in Gaza says more than 25,000 Palestinians – most of them women and children – have been killed and more than 62,000 wounded in Israel’s assault on the region since an Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel resulted in the death of about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israel.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US said the Kingdom was unable to pursue talks about a landmark deal to recognize Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

“I think the most important thing to realize is the [Kingdom] has not put normalization at the heart of its policy. It’s put peace and prosperity at the heart of its policy,” Princess Reema bint Bandar told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“The [Kingdom] has been quite clear. While there is violence on the ground and the killing persists, we cannot talk about the next day.”

Saudi Arabia has never recognized Israel and did not join the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords that saw its Gulf neighbors Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates as well as Morocco establish formal ties with Israel.

US President Joe Biden’s administration has pushed hard for Saudi Arabia to take the same step.