The burgeoning normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is palpable in both nations, but Riyadh seems determined to fine-tune its political positions before making any official commitments. On Sunday night, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan made a crucial statement, asserting, "There is no solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state."
Bin Farhan further expounded on this stance during an interview on a Saudi television channel. He emphasized, "People have begun to lose faith in the two-state solution, and we are determined to reinvigorate it. The only path to resolving this conflict lies in the firm promise of establishing an independent Palestinian state. We have engaged in consultations with the European Union, Egypt, and Jordan, seeking a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue."
This declaration emerged from an extended meeting that the Saudis convened on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting primarily focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. During this event, Bin Farhan held discussions with key figures, including the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit; Deputy Prime Minister and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi; Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry; and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The ministers deliberated on strategies to rejuvenate the peace process in the Middle East.
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with Geir O Pedersen, the #UN Special Envoy for #Syria, in #NewYork#EKHNews_EN
— AlEkhbariya News (@EKHNews_EN) September 17, 2023
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The meeting drew participants from around 70 countries and various international organizations, featuring approximately 50 speakers hailing from different corners of the globe. Their conversations centered on mechanisms for coordinating joint endeavors to advance the peace process in the Middle East. Additionally, they explored the prospect of establishing a multifaceted team that would address political, economic, and humanitarian dimensions, thereby catalyzing the renewal of the peace process.
Bin Farhan's pronouncement concerning an independent Palestinian state comes on the heels of Saudi Arabia's ongoing process of normalizing relations with Israel. Notably, Saudi Arabia issued a strongly-worded condemnation following the Jewish ascent to the Temple Mount during Rosh Hashanah.
#Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan heads the delegation of #SaudiArabia participating in the meetings of the United Nations General Session at its seventy-eighth session, and he will deliver the Kingdom’s speech next Saturday. pic.twitter.com/DbjQp10c9y
— The Saudi Post - English (@TheSaudiPost_En) September 17, 2023
In an official statement from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the "invasion of extremists to Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces" was unequivocally labeled a "violation that offends the sentiments of Muslims worldwide." Furthermore, the Saudi Foreign Ministry squarely placed responsibility on Israel for the consequences of this event, and called upon the international community to intervene and quell the "escalation of the Israeli occupation."
