Saudi Arabia: Resolving the Palestinian Issue Paves the Way for Recognizing Israel

Saudi Arabia says it could recognize Israel if a comprehensive agreement that includes the establishment of a Palestinian state is reached. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, said on Tuesday at a meeting in Davos at the World Economic Forum: "We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel as well. But this is only possible through peace for the Palestinians via [the establishment of] a Palestinian state." In response to a question about whether Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel as part of a broader political agreement, he said: "Definitely." Prince Faisal stated that Saudi Arabia has been working with the U.S. government to achieve peace in the region through the establishment of a Palestinian state. He noted that regarding the [Gaza] war, this issue [peace through the establishment of a Palestinian state] is more relevant. Two sources familiar with Riyadh's positions said that following the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel last October, Saudi Arabia halted U.S.-backed plans for normalizing relations with Israel and changed its diplomatic priorities. These two sources told Reuters that negotiations supported by the U.S. regarding the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be postponed. Hamas militants killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in a terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 15 and took about 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, to Gaza. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be an important step for Saudi Arabia to receive a major defense agreement from the U.S.