Saudi Arabia opposes Trump’s stance and demands that Israel and the Palestinian State not normalize

Riyadh has responded to Donald Trump’s comments by rejecting rapprochement with Israel and demanding Palestinian independence.

Saudi Arabia has reiterated its position that it would not improve ties with Israel until a Palestinian state is established, despite President Donald Trump’s claim that Riyadh was not putting such a demand.

Trump made the unexpected announcement on Tuesday that the US will take over the war-torn Gaza Strip after moving Palestinians to other places and concentrate on its economic growth. During a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in town, he made the statements.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday that the kingdom’s stance on Palestinian statehood is non-negotiable and vehemently opposed any attempts to drive Palestinians off their land.

The statement also underlined how Saudi Arabia’s position had been “clear and explicit” by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, leaving no opportunity for misunderstanding.

Palestinian displacement is still a very delicate topic in the Arab world. Many Palestinians fear a repeat of the 1948 “Nakba,” the mass exodus and removal that accompanied the establishment of Israel, as the Gaza battle rages on.

The United States has been in the forefront of diplomatic attempts to get Saudi Arabia, one of the most powerful Arab countries, to formally join Israel. However, such attempts have been sidetracked by the ongoing war in Gaza, which started in October 2023. Riyadh has canceled talks due to the fact that the Arab world is furious over Israel’s military onslaught.

Trump has attempted to persuade Saudi Arabia to emulate the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the first Arab countries to normalize relations with Israel in more than 25 years, by normalizing relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020.

Given the kingdom’s enormous influence in the Middle East, its leadership in the Muslim world, and its position as the greatest oil exporter in the world, Israel would make tremendous progress in establishing diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia.