Saudi Arabia: Don't Listen to Kirby, No Normalization With Israel Without Ceasefire, Two-State Solution
MBS made it clear to a U.S. delegation earlier in the war that an Israeli ground invasion would be unwise
John Kirby, the U.S. national security spokesman, was called out by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after he told reporters that he received positive feedback that Riyad and Israel are willing to continue normalization discussions even as the IDF continues its military (and starvation) campaign in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued an unusually terse statement in response to Kirby’s comments and said “in light of what has been attributed to the US National Security [Council] spokesperson, the ministry of foreign affairs affirms that the position of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been steadfast on the Palestinian issue and the necessity that the brotherly Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights.”
Saudi Arabia said it conveyed its firm position to the Biden administration “that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.”
The Times of Israel noted that the statement was issued just a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken “met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, in a possible indication that the sit-down did not go well.”
The State Department said after the meeting that the two discussed “the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict.”
The two discussed “an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the department said, according to The New York Times.
Saudi Arabia and Iran—regional rivals—have seen their relations improve since the 7 October attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. MBS made it clear to a U.S. delegation earlier in the war that an Israeli ground invasion would be unwise and poses a threat to the stability of the entire region.
Saudi Arabia has been accused by critics of not taking a firm stance on the matter.
Before the 7 October Hamas attack, Israel was working to get closer with Saudi Arabia to counter Iran, but the Palestine issue was a problem even back then. Saudi Arabia has insisted on a Palestinian state.
The Times of Israel reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, in January 2023 and issued a statement that he hopes to “deepen the Abraham Accords and widen the circle of peace, with an emphasis on a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia.”
The paper wrote, “But while the Saudis have softened toward Israel in recent years, allowing Israeli flights to use the country’s airspace, the new hardline Netanyahu government is unlikely to provide a welcoming atmosphere for any such deal.”
Jon B. Alterman, the director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Bloomberg last year that there is a “profound alignment in threat perceptions between the Israelis and the Saudis and other Gulf Arab governments,” when it comes to Iran, it is not enough to build a foundation of diplomatic normalization.
Stand-Alone Israel Bill Fails in U.S. House Vote
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a stand-alone bill that would have provided Israel with $17 billion to continue its genocide in Gaza.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called the bill’s failure a disappointing rebuke by Democrats aimed at “our closest ally in the Middle East.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., voted against the measure, stating, “What is needed today is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and release of all hostages, not a $17 billion blank check to the extreme right wing government in Israel with zero humanitarian assistance. That’s why I voted NO on the aid package tonight.”
The vote was 250-180.