In response to President Donald Trump’s assertion that Riyadh was not calling for a Palestinian homeland when he stated that the United States intends to annex the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia declared that it would not forge relations with Israel until a Palestinian state was established.
Trump made the bombshell proposal on Tuesday that the United States will assume control of the war-torn enclave and develop it economically after the Palestinians were relocated elsewhere. He was addressing a joint news conference with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister who was in town.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it opposes any efforts to force the Palestinians off their land and that its position on the issue is non-negotiable.
In ‘a clear and plain manner’ that does not permit any interpretation under any circumstances, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reaffirmed the kingdom’s stance, the statement stated.
Both Arab nations and Palestinians find any proposed displacement of Palestinians to be extremely contentious.
As the Gaza war continued, Palestinians worried they would experience another “Nakba,” or disaster, similar to the time when hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes during the conflict that gave rise to the state of Israel.
The stakes are enormous for both Trump and Israel in terms of Saudi strategy in the Middle East.
