Saudi Arabia is concerned about Israel’s refusal to accept a two-state solution in its conflict with the Palestinians, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told reporters in Brussels, while welcoming the three European countries who unilaterally recognized Palestinian statehood.
“I firmly believe,” Prince Faisal said Sunday evening, “that a two-state solution with the creation of a credible Palestinian state serves…the interests of the Palestinians and guarantees their right to self-determination.”
“It is also in Israel’s interests and provides the security Israel needs and deserves.”
“The fact that the current government in Israel does not realize this is of course extremely worrying,” he said.
He spoke in Brussels at a news conference with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Bathe Eide on the sidelines of two days of events on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict organized in Brussels.
They took place as the Norwegian, Irish and Spanish unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state was due to officially come into force on Tuesday.
Prince Faisal, who attended the Brussels meetings, said it was important “to reinvigorate the two-state solution, regardless of Israel’s position, because Israel does not have the right to decide whether the Palestinians have or not the right to self-determination.
Unilateral recognition by Norway, Ireland and Spain of Palestinian statehood, he said, “is not just symbolic.” It “reemphasizes the viability of the two-state solution. … We therefore encourage others to do the same,” Prince Faisal said. .
Borrell said “the two-state solution is not a painful concession that Israel” must make nor “a threat to the security” of Israel.
“On the contrary, it is the only long-term guarantee for Israel’s security and prosperity.
“I know that the current Israeli government is not convinced of this”, but its allies must work to advance this project because it is “the only solution that we can imagine to bring peace and security to the two peoples who fight for the same land.
The Netanyahu government has hardened its position since October 7
The current government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has opposed the creation of a Palestinian state since being sworn in in late December 2022, has hardened this stance following the Hamas-led invasion of Israel on October 7.
He argued that unilateral Palestinian recognition legitimizes this attack, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and 252 others taken hostage. Some 125 of these captives remain in Gaza.
Earlier this year, the Israeli government and Knesset declared their opposition to a unilateral Palestinian state, but said they would support a negotiated process with the Palestinians leading to the creation of two states.
Netanyahu’s right-wing critics said the declaration, adopted by the Knesset by 99 votes to 120, was a backdoor way of supporting two-state negotiations.
Neither Netanyahu nor his senior officials, however, have been willing to declare this publicly and have instead expressed concern that a Palestinian state could, like Gaza, become another bastion of terrorism.
The Israeli government’s virulent opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, coupled with the ten-year absence of any negotiated Israeli-Palestinian peace process, has pushed some European countries to change their position on the creation of a state. Palestinian.
Many Western and European countries believed in the past that recognition of Palestinian statehood should come at the end of a two-state process.
They now see it as a supportive measure aimed at reinvigorating the process, particularly at a time when the United States is working to advance a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
News Source : www.jpost.com
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