The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is reportedly willing to accept political commitments from Israel to establish a Palestinian state, rather than a binding agreement to normalize relations, Reuters reported.
The move is seen as aimed to expedite the approval of a defense pact with the United States (US) before the upcoming presidential election.
Saudi Arabia recently resumed talks with the US on strengthening defense ties after a hiatus due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war since October 7, 2023.
The Kingdom is prioritizing security to counter Iran’s threats, supporting its economic transformation plan, and attracting significant foreign investment.
Saudi officials have stated that they will not demand concrete steps from Israel for establishing a Palestinian state in order to revive the stalled US defense pact.
Instead, the Kingdom is open to a political commitment to a two-state solution, as revealed by senior regional sources to Reuters.
The potential regional agreement would face numerous political and diplomatic challenges, including uncertainty over the outcome of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On January 16, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was asked on a Davos panel whether Riyadh would recognize Israel as part of a broader political agreement, he said, “Absolutely.”
He said, “We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that can only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state.”
