No recognition of Israel without Palestinian state, Saudi Crown Prince assures
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Jeddah on March 20, 2024. - Secretary of State Blinken, who landed in Jeddah earlier on March 20 on the first leg of a regional tour that was extended to include Israel, met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan before holding talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein / POOL / AFP)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made it clear that Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel until a Palestinian state is established.
In his address to the Shoura Council, he strongly condemned Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, calling out the “crimes of the Israeli occupation.”
The crown prince reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, stating, “The Kingdom will not stop its tireless work toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state… and we affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.”
He also expressed gratitude to countries that have recognized the Palestinian state and encouraged others to follow suit.
Beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Prince Mohammed stressed Saudi Arabia’s broader goals for regional and international security and peace. This includes finding diplomatic solutions to crises in Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Ukraine.
On the domestic front, the crown prince highlighted the progress made under Saudi Vision 2030, citing significant economic strides. Non-oil activities now contribute 50% of the country’s real GDP, and unemployment rates have dropped from 12.8% in 2017 to 7.6% in the first quarter of 2024.
“The Public Investment Fund remains a driving force for investment, while unemployment rates have reached historic lows, declining from 12.8 percent in 2017 to 7.6 percent in the first quarter of 2024.”
He added that the Kingdom the country was keen to protect its identity and values, “which are an extension of the journey of our grandfathers and fathers,” despite the massive modernization drive.
