Saudi Arabia still interested in normalization with Israel after Gaza War
The Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom says that any normalization agreement with Israel will not be at the expense of the Palestinian people
Saudi Arabia remains interested in a normalization deal with Israel after the war in Gaza, according to Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom Prince Khalid bin Bandar. However, he emphasized that any agreement in this regard must be linked to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly condemned the Israeli aggression on Gaza, calling for an immediate cessation of the war, the protection of civilians, and allowing humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territories, which have been subjected to the most intense random shelling causing the death and injury of tens of thousands.
The operation “Sword of al-Quds,” launched by Hamas on October 7th of last year, targeting Israeli areas in the Gaza Strip, was postponed, causing the deaths of about 1,200 Israelis and the holding of 240 hostages, including military personnel, settlers, and foreigners. The normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel was also affected.
US officials considered that the Hamas attack aimed to undermine the normalization deal discussed in the period leading up to the war. Saudi and Israeli officials mentioned that the deal was in its final stages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in September of last year, from the United Nations General Assembly platform, that an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalize relations was imminent.
Prince Khalid bin Bandar stated in an interview with the BBC that the agreement was “close” when the Kingdom suspended talks mediated by the United States after Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th of last year. He added that his country still believes in normalization, despite the “regrettable” casualties in Gaza, but it “will not come at the expense of the Palestinian people.” He also warned of a “humanitarian failure” if the international community does not do enough to end the fighting.
Responding to whether Saudi Arabia sees Hamas – classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the UK, and other Western countries – as part of the future Palestinian state, Prince Khalid stated that it “requires a lot of thinking.”
He added, “There is always room for change if you have optimism and hope, but when there is conflict, the first thing you need to realize is that both sides have lost.” He stressed that the current Israeli government’s extreme and absolute viewpoint hinders reaching a settlement and will never be able to end the conflict.
Prince Khalid did not provide further details, but the US criticized two Israeli ministers from the far-right, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, after they recently called for the relocation of Palestinians outside of Gaza.
He also warned that there is a danger of spreading extremism in the Palestinian society as a result of the war, which not only resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians in Gaza but also caused widespread destruction and a deep humanitarian crisis.
He said, “The unprecedented level of violence committed by both sides – but especially by what is supposed to be a responsible state in Israel – over the past three months, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this.” He noted that the civilian casualties on the Palestinian side are staggering and unprecedented, adding, “This will lead to a loss of hope not only among the Palestinian people but also among angry residents around the world. Everyone sees it as a humanitarian failure because no one has done anything to stop it. Efforts are being made, but it is not enough.”
Saudi Arabia has not officially recognized Israel since its establishment in 1948, and normalizing relations would be a significant breakthrough for the Jewish state after the Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, as well as the suspended agreement with Sudan. In late September of last year, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview that they are “getting closer every day” to reaching an agreement and that solving the Palestinian issue is “very important.”
According to reports, Saudi officials asked the United States to halt trilateral discussions shortly after the October 7th attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 others were held hostage by hundreds of armed Hamas members who infiltrated communities in southern Israel from Gaza.
Following his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a tour that included Saudi Arabia and the UAE and then moved to Ramallah on Wednesday, stated that he raised the issue of normalization, adding, “There is clear interest here in following up on that, but it will require an end to the conflict in Gaza, and it is also clear that it will require a practical path for the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
