Saudi Ambassador To UK-Normalisation w/Israel Possible After War Ends

Speaking to the BBC, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Kingdom Prince Khalid bin Bandar has claimed that his country would be interested in a normalisation deal with Israel once the war in Gaza is over. He reiterated that a any such deal must lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The apparent closeness of an Israel-Saudi normalisation deal, spoken up by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in an interview with Fox News during the 2023 UNGA in New York, is seen as one of the myriad factors that spurred Hamas' October attack.

• It became immediately apparent that with Israel's response to the attack, with the bombardment and subsequent incursion into Gaza, that there would be no prospect of normalisation while the conflict rages on.
• The Ambassador stated that prior to the 7 October attacks by Hamas, "[A deal] was close, there is no question. For us, the final end point definitely included nothing less than an independent state of Palestine. So, while we still [...] believe in normalisation, it does not come at the cost of the Palestinian people,"
• A normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be seen as a notable boon for the US. In recent years, China has become an increasingly powerful player in the region, most visibly in brokering a resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, the US would be seen as the catalyst for any Israel-Saudi deal, re-establishing Washington's primary presence in the Middle East.