Saudi King Reiterates Support For Palestinian State After De Facto Recognition Of Israel

Saudi King Salman reaffirmed Riyadh’s support for a Palestinian state less than a day after his son and heir to the throne made waves by de facto recognizing Israel’s right to exist. In a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, the Saudi leader reiterated his kingdom’s “steadfast position towards the Palestinian issue and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.” The statement follows the publication by The Atlantic of an interview with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which he asserted that both “the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land.” While the future Saudi king explained that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries share multiple interests with Israel, he stressed that the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Jerusalem is contingent on the latter forging a peace agreement with the Palestinians. The enthusiasm over bin Salman’s comments comes against the backdrop of a rapprochement between the Jewish state and the Sunni Muslim kingdom, fueled primarily by mutual concerns over Shiite Iran’s regional adventurism and potential nuclearization.