Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its long-standing position on the Palestinian issue, which has remained unchanged for decades.
Speaking at the opening of the Shura Council’s ninth session, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the Palestinian issue remains a top priority for the Kingdom.
He condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and stated that Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is created. He accused Israel of violating international law, causing further suffering for the Palestinian people.
The Crown Prince pledged that Saudi Arabia will continue its efforts to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. He also thanked countries that have recognized Palestine and called on others to do the same.
These remarks reflect Saudi Arabia’s long-standing and principled stance on the Palestinian issue, a position upheld since the time of the Kingdom’s founder, King Abdulaziz Al Saud.
In 1926, as Britain sought to establish its presence in Palestine, threatening Palestinian rights, King Abdulaziz firmly opposed these moves. He declared his rejection of British attempts to negotiate during the Wadi Al-Aqeeq talks, and famously said: “The nation’s rights are non-negotiable.”
In 1935, he sent his son, Crown Prince Faisal, to Palestine to witness the situation firsthand, showing that the Kingdom’s actions matched its words.
For decades, Saudi Arabia has consistently supported the Palestinian cause. King Salman has reiterated that this remains the Kingdom’s top priority and will continue to be until the Palestinian people gain their legitimate rights, including the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi Arabia has consistently called for a credible and irreversible path to establish a Palestinian state and end the decades-long displacement of Palestinians.
During the recent Gaza crisis, Crown Prince Mohammed urged the international community to act swiftly to stop the attacks on Gaza and protect civilians.
The Kingdom has also supported international efforts to advance the Palestinian cause, recently welcoming a UN resolution calling for an end to Israel’s illegal presence in occupied Palestinian territories.
Ahead of the UN General Assembly, Saudi Arabia stressed the need for concrete actions to achieve a just and comprehensive solution based on the Arab Peace Initiative and international resolutions.
One might wonder: What if Israel had accepted Saudi Arabia’s peace initiative proposed at the Arab League Summit in Beirut in March 2002?
Instead, Israeli leaders, particularly the Benjamin Netanyahu government, have repeatedly rejected the two-state solution and ignored international resolutions.
Israel’s focus on military action, from Gaza to southern Lebanon, risks sparking a broader regional conflict. Recent incidents, like the deadly pager blasts in Lebanon, have only heightened tensions.
The Israeli leadership seems focused on its current power and alliances, forgetting that even the strongest empires can fall, and those who follow the same path often meet the same fate.
Endless conflict is unsustainable, and denying rights will only bring greater costs to future generations.
Saudi Arabia maintains that the path to peace is in Israel’s hands, a message it continues to deliver firmly.
