Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar, announced that the Kingdom is pausing discussions about a potential landmark deal to recognize Israel due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Princess Reema emphasized that peace and prosperity, rather than normalization, are at the heart of Saudi policy.
The Kingdom has maintained a stance of not recognizing Israel and did not participate in the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords, which saw neighboring Gulf states Bahrain and the UAE, as well as Morocco, establish formal ties with Israel. Despite US President Joe Biden’s administration pushing for Saudi Arabia to follow suit, recent events in the region have affected this momentum.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had previously indicated a gradual move towards a deal with Israel, acknowledging the importance of the Palestinian issue for Riyadh. However, the situation changed following a large-scale attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, leading to significant civilian casualties and an intense Israeli military response in Gaza.
With the death toll rising on both sides, Princess Reema stated that discussions about future ties with Israel cannot proceed while violence and killings continue. The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for a ceasefire and the establishment of a Palestinian state for any future relationship with Israel.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, coupled with regional tensions involving cross-border strikes between Iran and Pakistan and US military actions in Yemen, has heightened concerns about regional stability. Princess Reema expressed profound concern about potential escalation and the impact it could have on the Middle East.
