Saudi Arabia Advocating for Palestinian State Establishment
Saudi Arabia has taken a leading role in advocating for international recognition of a Palestinian state, as part of a broad diplomatic initiative launched a year ago in collaboration with France and Norway. This initiative aims to build global consensus towards a two-state solution grounded in the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital.
The Saudi-led push for Palestinian state recognition carries potential benefits for Saudi Arabia. By positioning itself as a champion of Palestinian self-determination and justice, Riyadh hopes to enhance its international diplomatic standing, particularly in the Arab and Islamic world. This role could also improve regional influence and provide political leverage in its complex relations with Israel.
The initiative could help Saudi Arabia mitigate criticism over its human rights record by showcasing humanitarian concern. However, critics argue that Saudi Arabia's push is partly transactional, using recognition diplomacy as political cover for a pro-normalization agenda with Israel. This approach risks alienating popular pro-Palestinian sentiment in the region, and recognition alone offers Palestinians no guarantees of ending occupation or achieving liberation.
The "New York Declaration," endorsed by Arab League members, the EU, and other countries, urges Hamas to disarm, release Israeli hostages, and give up leadership in Gaza, while condemning Israeli assaults causing humanitarian crises in Gaza. The declaration also condemns attacks by Israel against civilians in Gaza and civilian infrastructure.
The Saudi-French initiative still faces considerable opposition from Israel and its ally, the US. However, the urgency of the situation in Gaza and the worsening violence in the West Bank have led Saudi Arabia to reaffirm its support for the Arab Peace Initiative.
The Arab Peace Initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in 2002 and supported by all Arab League member states, stated that Arab states would recognize and normalize relations with Israel if Israel ended its occupation and agreed to establish a Palestinian state. The initiative was derailed over the years due to disagreements about Palestinians' right to return and other factors, including the Arab Spring and the Abraham Accords.
The United Nations General Assembly voted in December to confirm that most countries believe a two-state solution is the answer to problems between Israel and the Palestinian territories. France, Canada, Malta, the UK, and Australia have announced they are considering recognizing a Palestinian state, with the UK and Canada coming out with statements of conditional recognition of Palestine, suggesting the Saudi-French approach is moving the needle.
The "New York Declaration" has been described as a reboot of the 2002 Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative. Faisal J. Abbas, a regular commentator on Saudi topics, argues that the Saudi-French diplomatic initiative fits within American strategic interests and offers a route out of perpetual conflict.
In summary, Saudi Arabia's recent leadership on Palestinian state recognition emerges from a complex mix of genuine diplomatic engagement and strategic self-interest, balancing its aspirations for regional influence, improved global image, and eventual negotiated relations with Israel against persistent domestic and regional Palestinian solidarity and humanitarian concerns.
- The Saudi-led push for a Palestinian state's recognition in the international community is part of a broader diplomatic initiative, aiming to establish a two-state solution grounded in the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital.
- Saudi Arabia positions itself as a champion of Palestinian self-determination and justice, hoping to enhance its international diplomatic standing, particularly in the Arab and Islamic world.
- The "New York Declaration" has been described as a reboot of the 2002 Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative, which proposed that Arab states would recognize and normalize relations with Israel if Israel ended its occupation and agreed to establish a Palestinian state.
- Critics argue that Saudi Arabia's push for Palestinian state recognition is partly transactional, using it as political cover for a pro-normalization agenda with Israel, risking alienating popular pro-Palestinian sentiment in the region.
- The United Nations General Assembly voted to affirm that most countries believe a two-state solution is the answer to problems between Israel and the Palestinian territories, with France, Canada, Malta, the UK, and Australia considering recognizing a Palestinian state.
- The Saudi-French diplomatic initiative has been suggested to fit within American strategic interests and offers a potential route out of perpetual conflict in the Middle East.
- The Saudi-led push for a Palestinian state's recognition carries potential benefits for Saudi Arabia, including the opportunity to improve its regional influence, provide political leverage in complex relations with Israel, and mitigate criticism over its human rights record by showcasing humanitarian concern.
