Saudi, French ministers urge support for Palestinian state

UNITED NATIONS: Saudi Arabia will not normalize relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is established and the war in Gaza ends, the kingdom’s foreign minister said Monday, signaling Riyadh’s clearest stance yet linking recognition to progress on a two-state solution.

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made the remarks at a press briefing with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in New York, following a high-level international conference on implementing the two-state solution, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France. “For the kingdom, recognition is very much tied to the establishment of the Palestinian state,” Prince Faisal said when asked whether Saudi Arabia could relaunch the Abraham Accords recognition for Palestine as a prerequisite for normalizing relations with Israel. “We certainly hope that the clear consensus shown today – which will be shown tomorrow as well – and the clear momentum towards establishing that Palestinian state can open the conversation about normalization,” he added.

Faisal emphasized that normalization with Israel cannot be discussed while Israel’s genocide continues in Gaza. “Talks can only open first if the conflict in Gaza ends and if the suffering of the people of Gaza is alleviated. Because there’s no reason, even, or no credibility, to have a conversation about normalization with constant death and suffering and destruction in Gaza.”

“And then we have to talk about the establishment of the Palestinian state. And once that is achieved, then obviously we can talk about normalization,” he added.

Earlier, dozens of ministers gathered at a United Nations conference to urge that the world work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, but the U.S. and Israel boycotted the event.

Addressing the conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud urged all countries support the conference goal of a roadmap laying out the parameters to a Palestinian state while ensuring Israel’s security.

“We must ensure that it does not become another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in opening remarks. “It can and must serve as a decisive turning point - one that catalyzes irreversible progress towards ending the occupation and realizing our shared aspiration for a viable two-state solution.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the conference: “We must work on the ways and means to go from the end of the war in Gaza to the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at a time when this war is jeopardizing the stability and security of the entire region.”

France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said last week.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa called on all countries to “recognize the state of Palestine without delay,” adding: “The path to peace starts with recognizing the state of Palestine and preserving it from destruction.”

“The rights of all peoples must be respected, the sovereignty of all states must be ensured. Palestine, and its people can no longer be the exception,” he told the conference. The US will not attend the conference at the United Nations, said a State Department spokesperson, describing it as “a gift to Hamas, which continues to reject ceasefire proposals accepted by Israel that would lead to the release of hostages and bring calm in Gaza.”

The State Department spokesperson added that Washington voted against the General Assembly last year calling for the conference and would “not support actions that jeopardize the prospect for a long-term, peaceful resolution to the conflict.” Israel is also not taking part in the conference. Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said on Monday: “This conference does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion. Instead of demanding the release of the hostages and working to dismantle Hamas’s reign of terror, the conference organizers are engaging in discussions and plenaries that are disconnected from reality.” Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to represent Pakistan at the conference.