The Saudi Role in Reshaping Israel-Palestine
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Sulaiman
- . February 29, 2024
- . Update: February 29, 2024 4:48 pm
As Israel’s attacks on Gaza continue, Saudi Arabia has become an important player in deciding what happens after the war ends. With more influence globally and in the region, the kingdom could use its power to push for real progress on a Palestinian state.
Saudi Arabia’s Growing Prominence
In recent years under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has taken on a more prominent role internationally. The kingdom has had a more cooperative approach in the region and worked to make the Middle East less risky as it started huge development projects. With this growing influence comes more responsibility. The big question now is how Saudi Arabia will use its power to reshape relations between Israel and Palestine after the crisis in Gaza.
What do the Saudis want?
What do Saudi leaders hope to see after the Gaza war? As talks led by Egypt and Qatar focus on ceasefires, Saudi Arabia may play a bigger part in negotiations about Gaza’s future and the whole Israel-Palestine conflict. Unlike with the 2020 Abraham Accords, the kingdom seems set on ensuring real gains for Palestinians are part of any Saudi-Israeli normalization deal.
Saudi Arabia wants to solidify its vital role in regional diplomacy. By pushing Israel and the U.S. for solid commitments on Palestinian statehood, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could make himself the leader who succeeded where others failed. Testing how far American and Israeli partners will go for a “deal of the century” would confirm Saudi narratives of being central to Middle East affairs.
The Chance for Lasting Change
While it’s hard to be optimistic now, the White House still aims for normalization. The incredible destruction in Gaza shows the urgent need to restart peace efforts focused on Palestinians. Saudi Arabia can use its growing importance to shape a future after the war that finally makes progress on the long-standing Israel-Palestine conflict. If big concessions can be extracted, the kingdom may secure an irreversible path to statehood and reinforce its standing as the key regional player.
Building Trust on All Sides
Any lasting solution will require building more trust between Israelis, Palestinians and the wider Arab world. As a major Sunni power, Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to help foster better understanding. This could involve gestures like increasing Palestinian access to the Hajj pilgrimage or trade ties, exchanges of cultural delegations, and continuing security cooperation with Israel. Small steps to humanize adversaries may seem trivial but can help create the goodwill needed for reconciliation when formal negotiations restart.
