The heir to the Saudi throne has said Israelis have the right to a homeland in the region, breaking decades of official government policy and raising the possibility the kingdom could formally recognise Israel.
Saudi Arabia has never formally recognised Israel’s right to exist, long maintaining that Israel must withdraw from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Six Day War before further recognition.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The latest rapprochement follows a trend of the two countries growing closer under the crown prince, primarily over their shared antipathy towards Iran.
Last month Saudi Arabia opened its airspace for the first time to a commercial flight to Israel, “a hugely symbolic move that was greeted with much cheer in the Jewish state after a decades-long ban”, reports The Daily Telegraph.
For the time being, “it appears that both countries are being particularly careful about communicating mutual rapprochement through unofficial channels”, says DW, but the opening of a new chapter in diplomatic relations “could lead to an entirely new political power balance in the Middle East”.
Last year, Saudi Arabia publicly condemned Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. However, the Telegraph says the administration “has pinned its hopes on Saudi Arabia as a key interlocutor in the peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians”.
Al Jazeera reports that Donald Trump, under the efforts of his senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is busy devising a new plan to break the deadlock in the peace process, which he has described as “the ultimate deal”.
Bin Salman’s intervention comes after a week in which 16 Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli security forces, one of worst days of violence in years.
-
Israeli security cabinet OKs Gaza City takeoverSpeed Read Netanyahu approved a proposal for Israeli Defense Forces to take over the largest population center in the Gaza Strip
-
An ancient Israeli cave teaches new archaeological lessonsThe Explainer The cave is believed to be one of the world's oldest burial sites
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Israeli NGOs have started referring to Gaza as a 'genocide' — will it matter?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION For the first time since fighting began in 2023, two Israeli rights groups have described their country's actions in the Gaza Strip as 'genocide' while famine threatens the blockaded Palestinian territory
-
28 nations condemn Israel's 'inhumane killing' in GazaSpeed Read Countries including Australia, France, Japan and the U.K. have released a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing attacks
-
Israeli gunfire kills dozens at Gaza aid siteSpeed Read The U.N. estimates that at least 875 Palestinians have died while trying to access food in recent months
-
The return of the Houthis: violence in the Red SeaIn the Spotlight The Houthis are back with their strongest attack yet
-
Rubio says US brokered end to Syria conflictSpeed Read Syria's defense ministry was targeted in Israeli attacks on the capital
