Saudi Arabia rejects normalisation of ties with Israel without a 'two-state' solution

In a significant development, Saudi Arabia has once again rejected the idea of normalisation with Israel without a two-state solution with the Palestinians. Saudi Arabian diplomat Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Friday that true normalisation and stability will only come if Israel agrees to resolve the dispute with Palestine.

The Arabian diplomat's remark came on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed normalisation with Saudi Arabia in talks with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Jerusalem on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia rejects the idea of normalisation with Israel without a two-state solution

Notably, Saudi Arabia, which is the world's largest oil exporter, shares a good relationship with the United States, but on several occasions, it has refused to normalise ties with US partner Israel over its occupation of Palestinian territories. Israel has repeatedly called on Saudi Arabia to join the US-mediated Abraham Accords initially signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. On Thursday, Netanyahu and Sullivan held a discussion on ways to strengthen the Abraham Accords with an emphasis on including Saudi Arabia on the list, reported The Guardian. 

The West Bank and the Gaza Strip, along with Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, have long remained a matter of dispute and is believed to be resolved by a "two-state" solution. However, the resolution of the dispute has become ever more distant with the occupation of the West Bank by Israeli settlements. Israeli authorities plan to pursue a policy of expanding the increased settlement in the West Bank, with hardline Jewish parties in a coalition supporting annexing some of the territories.

What is a 'two-state' solution?

The two-state solution is an agreement that envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside Israel, west of the Jordan River. The adjoining boundary between the two states is still a matter of dispute and negotiation, with Palestinian and Arab leadership insisting on the "1967 borders," something that is not accepted by Israel.

Image: AP