Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said on Tuesday the kingdom could recognize Israel if a comprehensive agreement were reached that included statehood for the Palestinian Arabs, Reuters reported.
"We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that could only happen through peace for the Palestinians through a Palestinian state," Prince Faisal told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Asked if Saudi Arabia would then recognize Israel as part of a wider political agreement, he said, "Certainly."
The Saudi minister said that securing regional peace through the creation of a Palestinian state was "something we have been indeed working on with the US administration, and it is more relevant in the context of Gaza".
"There is a pathway towards a much better future for the region, for the Palestinians, and for Israel, that is peace, and we are fully committed to that," said Prince Faisal, according to Reuters, adding that "a ceasefire on all sides should be a starting point for permanent sustainable peace, which can only happen through justice to the Palestinian people."
Israel and Saudi Arabia appeared to be on track towards normalization before Hamas’ October 7 attack against Israel and the war in Gaza which followed.
Shortly after the start of the war in Gaza, sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia is putting the US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice.
Prince Faisal later said that he believes talks on normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia will resume immediately after the conclusion of the war in Gaza.
In November, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters that Saudi Arabia is still interested in pursuing a normalization agreement with Israel “but obviously, we’re all focused, including our Saudi friends, on what’s going on in Gaza.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week, said after the meeting there was "clear interest" on the part of Saudi Arabia in pursuing relations with Israel.