From Riyadh... Obligations of Conditional Peace

Between September 17 and November 11 of this year, Riyadh served as the stage for three foundational events: a speech, a conference, and a summit. At the heart of all three lay the Palestinian cause, with efforts centered on halting the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
These events reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s steadfast commitment to the two-state solution, which has become a Saudi, Arab and Islamic prerequisite for any comprehensive peace initiative in the region. These efforts are not aimed at trading peace for peace; rather, they represent serious endeavors to achieve long-term stability in the broader Middle East. Achieving this peace that promotes stability and eases conflicts is increasingly tied to granting the Palestinian people their rights—most notably, the establishment of an independent state as defined by the two-state solution.
Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to the two-state solution was reaffirmed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his address to the Shura Council on September 18. This important speech preceded both the Arab-Islamic Summit held on November 11 and the Global Alliance for a Two-State Solution Conference, which convened in Riyadh on October 30. During his speech, the Crown Prince declared: “The Kingdom will not cease its tireless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. We affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without this condition being fulfilled.”
In its pursuit of a two-state solution or the establishment of a Palestinian state based on international resolutions—including UN Security Council Resolution 242, issued on November 22, 1967, following the June War (known as the Naksa or setback)—Riyadh hosted the Global Alliance for Implementing the Two-State Solution Conference on October 30. This initiative aligns with Saudi efforts to create an Arab-Islamic-European-international framework aimed at cementing Palestinian rights to statehood and recognition. Such efforts are particularly significant as the two-state solution remains stalled, 57 years after the original UN resolution.
Saudi Arabia’s commitment to this cause persists despite the unprecedented escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation and the subsequent war in Lebanon. For decades, Israel has systematically worked to alter the geographic and demographic realities in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. These measures have included settlement expansion, land confiscations, and fragmentation of Palestinian territories, as well as political actions such as the enactment of a Knesset law rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state or the two-state solution. These developments place the region at a crossroads, with clear choices: achieving stability requires peace, and peace is contingent on land—namely, the establishment of the long-overdue Palestinian state.
Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic efforts reached a peak during the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh on November 11. This summit underscored a unified and resolute Arab-Islamic stance on the Palestinian cause, explicitly rejecting aggression against Gaza, Lebanon, or any other nation. Its timing was particularly noteworthy, coinciding with the results of the US presidential elections and the preparations for a new administration in Washington. These Arab, Islamic, and international commitments serve as clear priorities for the incoming occupant of the White House. If there is to be a vision for a more stable world and genuine attempts to resolve or reduce conflicts, the Palestinian issue remains the essential entry point—a reality that cannot be ignored or bypassed, regardless of the power or dominance of its detractors.