Saudi minister says Israel talks hinge on Palestinian question
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Palestinians at the site of Israeli strikes on a residential building in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on Nov 7, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said talks towards the normalisation of ties with Israel remain on the table but have always been “contingent on a pathway to a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian question”.
“That was on the table – it remains on the table and obviously the setback over the last month has clarified why Saudi Arabia was so adamant that resolution of the Palestinian conflict has to be part of a broader normalisation in the Middle East,” Mr Falih said on a panel moderated by Ms Stephanie Flanders at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore.
When asked whether Saudi Arabia would use economic tools such as the oil price to achieve a ceasefire, Mr Falih laughed and said: “That is not on the table today. Saudi Arabia is trying to find peace through peaceful discussions.”
Mr Falih noted that it’s unfortunate the New Economy Forum this year is gathering at a time of heightened crisis.
He said that Saudi Arabia is pained on a human level at the loss of life in Gaza and the losses in Israel on Oct 7.
“The Palestinian people have had their basic rights taken away and the right for statehood and peaceful existence unfulfilled, and it’s time to use this awful situation to bring that to the fore and to resolve it,” Mr Falih said.
The Oct 7 attack on Israel by militants from Hamas and Israel’s response have fuelled concerns of a broader conflict in the region.
In recent developments, Israel said its troops are fighting inside Gaza City as they move towards its heart from the north and south.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country could keep security control over Gaza for an “indefinite period”, suggesting a longer-term role in the besieged territory.
Peace efforts
In the coming days, Saudi Arabia will convene separate summits with Arab nations, African countries and Islamic nations.
In the short term, the objective of these three summits and other gatherings, under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, is to drive towards peaceful resolution of the conflict, Mr Falih said.
“What’s beyond it is an imperative for countries in the Middle East to work towards prosperity of the people and the economy,” he said.
Separately, Mr Falih said he sees positive signs in US-China relations as engagement between the two economic powerhouses increases.
“Pragmatism is surfacing,” Mr Falih said, noting his nation’s strong relationships with the two. BLOOMBERG
