KSA hosts first meeting of 'Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution'
The Israeli parliament voted earlier this year to officially reject the establishment of a Palestinian state
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan hosted the first day of a two-day meeting of the so-called “Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution” on 30 October.
“The escalation that the region is witnessing and the continued Israeli aggression on Palestine and Lebanon, and the expansion of the conflict regionally and potentially global, makes it inevitable for all of us to take a decisive and immediate position to put an end to the crimes and the violations committed by Israel,” the Saudi official said during his opening address.
“A genocide is happening with the goal of evicting the Palestinian people from their land, which Saudi Arabia rejects,” Bin Faisal added, describing the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic” and condemning the Israeli army's “complete blockade” of northern Gaza.
The “high-level meeting” reportedly includes officials from several European and Arab nations. However, Saudi media did not publicize the names of those present.
Bin Farhan was quoted as saying that nearly 90 “states and international organizations” are taking part in the two-day summit in Riyadh.
“Now, more than ever, we should intensify our joint efforts to save the two-solution in order to restore security, stability and establish peace in our region,” the kingdom's top diplomat said during his speech.
Earlier this year, the Israeli Knesset overwhelmingly voted to outlaw the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“The Knesset of Israel firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan. The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel will pose an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region,” the approved resolution reads.
“Promoting the idea of a Palestinian state at this time will be a reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters to see this as a victory, thanks to the massacre of October 7, 2023, and a prelude to the takeover of jihadist Islam in the Middle East.”
According to a new book by US investigative journalist Bob Woodward, in the aftermath of the 7 October 2023 Palestinian resistance operation, several Arab leaders – including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) – told US officials that “Israel must defeat Hamas.”
“The terrorist groups are not only trying to eliminate Israel, but they also want to overthrow other Arab leaders. We are concerned about what the Israeli operation will do to all of our security, and what comes after Hamas may be worse,” Bin Farhan reportedly told US State Secretary Anthony Blinken.
For his part, MbS allegedly told Blinken, “I want the problems caused by October 7 to disappear. A Palestinian state must be established before normalization with Israel. I do not want that, but I need it to justify normalization. I want to return to Vision 2030 by normalizing with Israel. Gaza must be calm first for us to normalize with Israel.”
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