Saudi Arabia on Monday reaffirmed its long-held position that normalization of ties with Israel is conditional upon the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Speaking at a press conference alongside French officials during a UN summit promoting a two-state solution, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan made clear that Riyadh’s stance has not changed.

“This is the same position that was stated unequivocally by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over a year ago,” said Prince Faisal. “It is based on a strong conviction that only through the establishment of a Palestinian state, and only through addressing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, can we have sustainable peace and real integration in the region.”

The comments are direct rebuttal to recent speculation in Israeli and Western circles that Saudi Arabia might be prepared to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for security guarantees, arms deals, or token gestures toward a Palestinian state.

Israeli officials under Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have privately and publicly suggested that Riyadh may ultimately agree to diplomatic normalization without significant progress toward Palestinian statehood. But Saudi officials have pushed back repeatedly, demanding an “irreversible and time-bound” pathway to a Palestinian state as a prerequisite.

Netanyahu’s current government — considered the most right-wing in Israel’s history — has continued to reject the framework of a two-state solution and has taken steps viewed as accelerating the formal annexation of parts of the West Bank.

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