Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan says that normalization with Israel is not Riyadh’s current focus, citing the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.’
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was asked on Friday about the possibility of the kingdom normalizing ties with Israel and said that Saudi Arabia’s current priority is reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
“What we are seeing is the Israelis are crushing Gaza, the civilian population of Gaza,” he claimed during a visit to Moscow, as quoted by Al Arabiya.
“This is completely unnecessary, completely unacceptable and has to stop,” Prince Faisal added.
Saudi Arabia and Israel appeared to be on track towards normalization before Hamas’ attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. After the massacre, Saudi Arabia put the US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice.
In September, Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman emphasized that an “independent Palestinian state” was essential for normalization. Saudi Arabia has continued to reaffirm that stance.
Prince Faisal’s comments come a day after Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held a confidential meeting at the White House with US President Donald Trump and senior officials.
According to Fox News, the talks addressed steps toward possible normalization with Israel, though that was not the primary focus of the meeting.
