Summary
- Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has shut down talk of normalizing ties with Israel in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war
- The prince emphasized the need for an independent Palestinian state as a condition for any potential normalization with Israel
- The ongoing violence and atrocities committed during the conflict have made normalization with Israel unacceptable to the Saudi public
- Saudi Arabia is seeking to increase pressure on Israel and the US to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and prevent a wider regional war