By Olukayode Idowu
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has unveiled a new initiative aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state and advancing the implementation of a two-state solution.
This announcement comes after decades of failed international efforts to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has brought the region to the verge of full-scale war.
Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, introduced the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution during a speech at a high-level meeting attended by the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Norway.
Prince Faisal revealed that the initiative is a joint effort between Arab and European nations, stating that the first meeting of the alliance will take place in Riyadh.
Giving credence to the plan, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, confirmed that follow-up meetings will be held in both Riyadh and Brussels.
Prince Faisal said: “We are committed to working towards a reliable and irreversible plan for achieving just and comprehensive peace,” while calling for collective action to reach tangible results, with a focus on securing an immediate ceasefire and progressing toward a two-state solution, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
A press statement by the Embassy of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria on Saturday, said the backdrop of this initiative is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which intensified following the deadly October 7 Hamas attack that claimed the lives of nearly 1,200 people and resulted in hundreds of hostages being taken to Gaza. In response, Israel has launched extensive airstrikes, significantly damaging the Gaza Strip.
Prince Faisal condemned the escalating violence, noting that the war has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and criticizing what he called Israeli “crimes” in the West Bank and at key Muslim and Christian holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Prince Faisal stressed that while self-defense is a legitimate right, it cannot be used to justify mass civilian casualties, forced displacement, starvation, or acts of dehumanization, including systematic torture and sexual violence, which he claimed have been documented as part of Israeli military actions.
Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel is contingent upon the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reiterated this stance last week, strongly condemning Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories and affirming the Kingdom’s unwavering support for Palestinian statehood.
“The Kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” the Crown Prince said in a recent address to the advisory Shura Council.