Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan published an op-ed in the Financial Times that states his nation’s case clearly: Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established. Coming one day before Bin Farhan met with Iranian President Pezeshkian in Qatar, where the two promised to “permanently close the chapter on our differences,” it sends a very clear message to those hoping Saudi Arabia could continue to be manipulated by Western “leadership” in the region.
In his op-ed, Bin Farhan wrote: “Saudi Arabia has a long-standing commitment to seeking a just resolution to this conflict. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently reaffirmed our commitment to creating an independent Palestinian state. He emphasized that ‘the Palestinian issue is at the forefront of [Saudi Arabia’s] concerns’ and strongly condemned Israel’s crimes and disregard for international law. Saudi Arabia will tirelessly work towards establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without this condition.”
He adds: “Palestinian statehood is a prerequisite for peace, rather than its byproduct.”
