Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed support for the Palestinian Authority as a credible entity capable of governing both the West Bank and Gaza in a unified Palestinian state.
He emphasized the need for international recognition, defined borders, and a stable government for Palestine.
“We are open to all national components to rebuild our national reference under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization democratically, in addition to agreeing to a national government for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” Hamas’ political head Ismail Haniyeh said.
“We see quite clearly that the Palestinian Authority is able to maintain security under the most difficult situation.”
– Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan’s interview with @FRANCE24. pic.twitter.com/3p35nAv8Tu
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 19, 2024
Despite the Palestinian Authority’s unpopularity and Hamas’s history of violence, there are discussions of a potential unity government.
Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has aimed to improve relations with Israel, highlighting the importance of resolving the Palestinian issue.
“The Palestinian Authority is capable, with the support of the international community, of controlling the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Prince Faisal said.
“The Palestinian State already exists, and what now has to come into play is a recognition of that Palestinian State and a definition of its borders.”
– Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan’s interview with @FRANCE24. pic.twitter.com/CnRcDw8Vak
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 19, 2024
“If you talk to the Palestinian Authority themselves, they acknowledge that they need a strong reform process to establish or reinvigorate their cooperation,” Prince Faisal said. “The Palestinian Authority has shown themselves incredibly capable and credible when it comes to issues of maintaining security in the West Bank.”
“We see quite clearly today that the Palestinian Authority is able to maintain security under the most difficult situation – a lack of funding including the withholding of funds that are due to them by Israel,” Faisal added, “and continuing settlement activity and continuing provocations by extremist settlers in the West Bank. Nonetheless, the Palestinian Authority is able to maintain an acceptable level of security.”
“What does this tell us? This tells us that the Palestinian Authority is capable of maintaining security. Could it do better for the interest of the Palestinian people? Sure, they acknowledge this and they are ready for this process,” he said.
Prince Faisal said the state of Palestine “already exists, and what now has to come into play is a recognition of that Palestinian State and a definition of its borders.”
“These are things that need to be clearly defined and understood and this is what we require,” he said.
“For us, the Palestinian issue is very important,” Mohammed bin Salman said. “We need to solve that part. … We hope that it will reach a place that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, and get Israel back as a player in the Middle East.”
“The Kingdom’s firm and unaltered stance has always been and remains that security and stability in Palestine can be achieved only through implementing international resolutions pertaining to the two-state solution,” bin Salman said, “in order to enable the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate right to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
However, recent events, including Hamas’s terror activities, have complicated efforts towards normalization.
The idea of the Palestinian Authority leading a Palestinian state faces opposition from both Israel and Palestinians, with growing support for Hamas over the Palestinian Authority among the Palestinian population.
“I think before October 7, we were making very, very good progress. It’s hard for me to describe how close we were. It’s something I can’t really quantify,” Prince Faisal said.
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