Saudi Arabia responded on the US National Security Adviser statements regarding the normalization deal between Saudi Arabia with Israel
US National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan said Washington was close to signing an agreement with Saudi Arabia on normalization between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
Despite these statements, the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported, on Tuesday, statements by an unnamed official in the Saudi royal family, in which he said that Riyadh won’t be able to move forward with any real normalization process with Tel Aviv, without a political horizon for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“The establishment of a Palestinian state represents an Arab and Islamic need, and if it’s abandoned, the kingdom will be portrayed as a traitor,” the Saudi official said, adding, “The ball is now in the court of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu”.
The administration of US President Joe Biden is seeking to complete a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel before the upcoming US elections, but Riyadh has consistently declared that this is contingent on the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in addition to a security agreement with Washington.
In return, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin rejects the establishment of any Palestinian state as part of a normalization deal with Israel.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said normalization with Saudi Arabia was a move that could bring about a massive radical change and constitute a victory over the “evil empire”.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed with Sullivan on Sunday what is being worked on between the two sides on the Palestinian issue, to find a credible path towards a two-state solution, in a way that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights.
During their meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the two sides also discussed regional developments, including the situation in the Gaza Strip, stopping the war in it, facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid, in addition to reviewing the strategic relations between Riyadh and Washington and discussing the semi-final version of draft strategic agreements between the Kingdom and the United States.
