Foreign Minister Faisal Said Saudi Arabia Could Recognize Israel if Palestinian Statehood was Realized

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday that his kingdom could recognize Israel if a comprehensive agreement was reached that included statehood for Palestine.

"We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that can only happen through peace for Palestine through a Palestinian state," said Prince Faisal bin Farhan on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, reported by Reuters, January 17.

When asked whether Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel as part of a wider political agreement, he replied: "Of course."

Prince Faisal further said that maintaining regional peace through the creation of a Palestinian state is "something we have been working on together with the US Government, and this is more relevant in the context of Gaza".

It is known that normalization with Saudi Arabia, if realized, would be a 'major gift' for Israel after establishing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. This step is considered to be able to change geopolitics in the Middle East.

After war erupted between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Saudi Arabia froze US-backed plans to normalize relations with Israel, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Both sources told Reuters there would be a delay in Washington-backed talks on normalizing Saudi-Israeli ties, which is seen as a crucial step for the kingdom to gain real rewards from the US defense pact.

Before October 7, when Iranian-backed Hamas fighters launched attacks on southern Israel, both Israeli and Saudi Arabian leaders had signaled they were continuing to move toward establishing diplomatic ties that could transform the Middle East.

"There is a path to a better future for this region, for Palestine, and for Israel, namely peace, and we are fully committed to making it happen," said Prince Faisal.

"A ceasefire on all sides must be the starting point for permanent and sustainable peace, which can only happen through justice towards the Palestinian people," he continued.

Despite this, Israel's right-wing government has played down the prospect of making significant concessions to the Palestinians, as part of a potential normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.