Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on February 7, 2024 that there would be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Arab state was recognized on the 1967 lines, with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, and fighting in Gaza stopped. In February 2025 it reiterated that normalization would not occur without an independent state. Saudi Arabia stated these conditions as prerequisites for diplomatic relations.
What Riyadh has stated
The February 2024 statement specified recognition of statehood on 1967 lines and eastern Jerusalem as the capital, an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza, and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The U.S. State Department described Saudi requirements in May 2024 as calm in Gaza and a path to an independent state. That distinction matters: a “path” does not necessarily mean the immediate creation of a state, while Saudi Arabia’s public statement demanded recognition of one.
Saudi policy also draws on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which offered regional normalization after withdrawal from territories captured in 1967, an agreed refugee resolution, and an Arab state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital. For current language, see the Saudi foreign ministry’s dated statement and its February 2025 reaffirmation.
Israel’s stated position
On February 19, 2024, Israel’s cabinet unanimously adopted a declaration rejecting international diktats on a final agreement and unilateral recognition of an Arab state, stating that an agreement would result only from direct negotiations without preconditions. The next day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented that wording to the Knesset. Netanyahu presented the declaration’s position: Israel opposed unilateral recognition and called for direct negotiations.
In July 2024, the Knesset voted 68–9 for a separate declaration that opposed the establishment of an Arab state west of the Jordan River. This was broader language than the February declaration opposing unilateral recognition. Israel’s security argument centers on the threat of an armed entity near its population centers and the need for enforceable security arrangements. Saudi Arabia’s demand for statehood is explicit, leaving negotiators to bridge the underlying disagreement.
Why the terms are politically difficult
Israeli governments require parliamentary support to govern, and coalition partners have publicly opposed territorial concessions and statehood. A party leaving a coalition can threaten its majority, but does not by itself dissolve the Knesset or automatically call an election. The coalition arithmetic makes concessions politically difficult: parties that oppose statehood can threaten the government’s parliamentary majority.
The United States said Saudi statehood demands were part of the package linked to normalization. See the May 2, 2024 briefing and the Knesset’s July 2024 vote record. For the overall package and its U.S. elements, see the category overview.