Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan slammed Israel’s “devaluing” of Palestinian lives, reaffirming Riyadh’s stance that there will be no normalization of ties without a Palestinian state.
“The level of destruction in Gaza and of really devaluing the human lives of ordinary Palestinians will feed a cycle that is against everybody’s interest,” Prince Faisal said during an interview at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in the Saudi capital.
It is estimated that over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardment since last October, when Israel’s military began bombing Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
The Israelis have also routinely blocked humanitarian aid from getting into the enclave, which has culminated in a recent warning from the US that if more aid does not get in, the US may take specific measures in response.
Washington and the Biden administration have largely been criticized for failing to curb Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 and prevent what many have referred to as a genocide against the Palestinian people.
Asked about referring to this as genocide, Prince Faisal said the blockade of any access to humanitarian goods, with a continued Israeli military assault and no pathway for civilians to find shelter or safe zones, “can only be described as a form of genocide.
“It is certainly against international humanitarian law, and this is feeding a continuing cycle of violence.”
Despite the yearlong war, the Biden administration continues to tout the possibility of brokering a deal for Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. Prince Faisal said that was “not just a risk; it is off the table until we have a resolution to a Palestinian state.”
As part of a deal floated by Washington, Saudi Arabia would also receive strong security guarantees and access to weapons via the US.
Without normalization, Saudi Arabia is “quite happy” to wait until its demands are met, Prince Faisal said.
Nevertheless, Prince Faisal said the working relationship with the US was “among the best we’ve ever had, including in the national security space, but also on issues of economic cooperation.”
Saudi Arabia launched a new initiative last month aimed at implementing the two-state solution to allow Palestinians to receive their right to self-determination.
Israel continues to refuse to acknowledge a Palestinian state or discuss the steps needed for this to happen. Prince Faisal said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent comments that, once again, failed to mention Palestinians or a need to end the war in Gaza were concerning.
“That tells me that there is a real lack of understanding of strategic reality. We are here in this region, we are stuck in this region, all of us, the Palestinians and everybody. And we have to find a way to live with each other,” Prince Faisal said, warning that if this doesn’t happen, “We are setting ourselves for a continuing cycle of violence that serves no one except the extremists.”
While several steps need to be taken in order to recognize an independent Palestinian state, the top Saudi diplomat said it was not up to whether or not Israel accepts it. “It’s tied to the principles of international law. And I will say that the United Nations resolutions that led to the establishment of the State of Israel clearly had a Palestinian state in view as well. So, we need to make that happen,” he said.
Separately, the Saudi foreign minister corrected recent news reports about joint military exercises between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “There haven’t been any military exercises. I think, given the current regional context, it’s unlikely that there are going to be exercises in the near term.”
Source: english.alarabiya.net
Follow us on Iqra Today Facebook page and X (Twitter)