The prospect of Israel and Saudi Arabia formalizing relations has been on the table since Saudi Arabia silently approved its Gulf neighbors, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, establishing ties with Israel in 2020.
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| Image - US Secretary of State Blinken meets Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh, Credit - Reuters |
As of Wednesday, Saudi Arabia conveyed to the United States that it will refrain from establishing diplomatic ties with Israel until Israel ceases what Saudi Arabia terms as "aggression" against the Gaza Strip. The condition also involves the recognition of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem.
White House spokesperson for national security, John Kirby, mentioned on Tuesday that the Biden administration has received positive indications about Israel and Saudi Arabia being open to continuing normalization talks.
The Saudi foreign ministry released a statement to emphasize its steadfast position on the Palestinian issue to Washington, particularly in response to Kirby's reported remarks.
The formalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia has been a topic of discussion since Saudi Arabia silently approved its Gulf neighbors, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, establishing ties with Israel in 2020.
Saudi Arabia had put on hold U.S.-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel in October 2023, as the conflict between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israeli forces intensified.
Israel initiated a military offensive in Gaza following an incident on October 7, where militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel.
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