Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – the Sunni kingdom’s de facto leader – said today that Riyadh will not recognize the existence of Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state first, with the crown prince categorically condemning ” crimes of the Israeli occupation” against the Palestinian people, in a reversal of diplomatic moves by the Sunni kingdom before the outbreak of the Gaza war that had brought Saudi Arabia and Israel a step closer than ever to establishing relations.
“The kingdom will not stop its tireless work to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we confirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without this happening,” said Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS .
After the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas last October, Riyadh froze US-backed plans for the Sunni kingdom to establish relations with Israel, two sources with knowledge of Riyadh’s intentions said earlier this year, in a sharp rearrangement of his diplomatic priorities.
Mohammed bin Salman had said weeks before the October 7 war broke out that Riyadh was close to striking a deal with the Jewish state.
However, everything changed with the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip.
The two sources told Reuters there would be a delay in US-backed talks to normalize Saudi-Israeli ties, seen as a key step for the kingdom to secure what it sees as the real prize of a US defense deal in return.
MbS made today’s remarks in an annual address to the Shura advisory council, which he delivered on behalf of his father, King Salman.
The council swore in MbS today
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