Saudi Arabia reaffirms it will not recognize Israel without an independent Palestinian state, according to CNN and Al Arabiya reports. Saudi officials reject US President Donald Trump’s calls to join the Abraham Accords unless irreversible steps toward Palestinian statehood are taken.
Riyadh stressed its stance on Palestine has not changed, with normalization with Israel contingent on the creation of an independent Palestinian state, as per CNN. Saudi leadership also affirmed no policy shift regarding the Palestinian issue, according to Al Arabiya.
These reports follow Trump’s recent social media push for Muslim and Arab countries to join the Abraham Accords framework after a potential agreement with Iran. However, sources told CNN that Trump did not present participation in the accords as a formal condition linked to a possible deal with Iran during discussions with regional leaders.
Regional leaders have yet to respond to the proposal, according to CNN. Some may still consider joining but could impose conditions related to Israeli actions in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Lebanon, per regional sources.
Rashid Al Mohannadi, an expert affiliated with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, noted that while the Abraham Accords improved Israel’s relations with Gulf Arab states, they failed to address Palestinian statehood. He told CNN that one of the accords’ original aims was to halt annexation efforts in the West Bank, but Israeli actions continue, contradicting this goal.