Saudi Arabia insisted Wednesday that it will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is created, following comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting normalization was imminent and a claim by President Trump that Saudi Arabia is no longer demanding a Palestinian state.

In a statement posted on X, the Saudi foreign ministry declared, “Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.” The statement further emphasized that the kingdom’s “unwavering position is non-negotiable and not subject to compromises.”

Speaking at the White House alongside President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Netanyahu expressed confidence in a breakthrough, despite his government’s opposition to a two-state solution.

Both the Trump and Biden administrations have sought to broker a landmark deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, viewing it as a major foreign policy objective. However, Riyadh halted tentative talks early in the Gaza war and has since hardened its stance.

Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy and custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites, does not officially recognize Israel. However, since 2020, it has engaged in indirect negotiations, reportedly in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and assistance with its civil nuclear program.

Trump, who facilitated the Abraham Accords in 2020—normalizing Israel’s ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco—proposed late Tuesday that the U.S. take control of Gaza and relocate its more than two million Palestinian residents to Egypt or Jordan.

In its statement, Saudi Arabia firmly rejected any measures undermining Palestinian rights, stating: “Saudi Arabia also reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land.”

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