New Delhi: Hours after US President Donald Trump’s comments that the US would take control of the Gaza strip, Saudi Arabia has firmly stated it will not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel without the “establishment of a Palestinian state”.
Trump has claimed that Riyadh was not insisting on a Palestinian homeland, while proposing that America would control the Gaza Strip after relocating Palestinians and focus on its economic development. Trump made the announcement during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday.
Trump’s declaration comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is close to normalising relations with Israel through the Abraham Accord, a move that would have marked a historic shift in Middle East relations.
Saudi Arabia’s position remains clear: any peace agreement with Israel must be based on the recognition of Palestinian rights, and the kingdom would continue to push for a two-state solution in line with international resolutions.
Saudi Arabia’s statement, issued by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 February, underscored the kingdom’s refusal to accept any peace plan that would undermine Palestinian rights or involve the displacement of Palestinian people. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land… The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasizes that this unwavering position is non-negotiable and not subject to compromises,” the statement said.
“Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current U.S. administrations,” it added.
Saudi Arabia, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has reiterated its commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Crown Prince recently reinforced this position during a speech at the Shura Council in September 2024, where he emphasised that Saudi Arabia would not normalise relations with Israel without a clear solution to the Palestinian issue.
Trump, Netanyahu and Arab diplomacy
Trump suggested in the joint press conference with Netanyahu that the US could “rebuild” Gaza and offer economic development while suggesting the relocation of Palestinians to Egypt or Jordan. This idea was immediately met with strong criticism from Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, among others, who reaffirmed their support for Palestinian sovereignty. A joint letter by the three countries was sent to the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the US administration to respect Palestinian rights and reject any plans that would lead to their forced displacement.
Trump’s shocker followed Netanyahu’s remarks about a potential peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. “I think peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not only feasible, I think it’s going to happen,” Netanyahu said, stressing that both he and Trump were fully committed to making it a reality.
But Trump’s proposal may have complicated the prospects for such a deal.
The US spent months pushing for Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel and officially recognise the country. However, the Gaza war, which erupted in October 2023, caused Riyadh to put those efforts on hold due to widespread anger in the Arab world over Israel’s military actions.
Trump hoped Saudi Arabia would follow in the footsteps of countries like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which signed the Abraham Accords in 2020, becoming the first Arab nations in a quarter-century to establish ties with Israel. Securing a deal with Saudi Arabia would be a major diplomatic win for Israel, as the kingdom holds significant sway over the Middle East, the broader Muslim world, and is the largest oil exporter globally.
Following the 2020 normalisation agreements with Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, and Sudan, the US under President Biden had earlier pushed to include Saudi Arabia.
At the 2024 Doha Forum in Qatar, former White House Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt stated, “President Trump will definitely pursue expanding the Abraham Accords.” National Security Adviser Mike Waltz had called Saudi-Israeli normalisation a “top priority” and the “next phase” of the accords.
Meanwhile, Trump had indicated plans to leverage the momentum from the January 2025 Gaza ceasefire to further expand the agreements.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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Who cares about Saudi Arabia’s stance? Nobody us bothered about what Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Iran think or do.
President Trump’s solution is creative and just. It resolves the issue of Gaza based terrorism targeting Israel and Jews. If implemented, Israel will be safe and Jews and Arabs can live in peace. Everybody benefits out of this solution. There are no losers here, only winners.
The Arab world may think or do what it wishes to, but this is the best solution for this wretched problem.