Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Abdallah al-Mouallimi said on 14 December that Riyadh is open to normalizing ties with Israel as long as the relationship is based on the conditions of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

Speaking during an interview with Saudi Arabia-based English language media outlet, Arab News, Al-Mouallimi said Riyadh still stands by its earlier position to only establish ties with Tel Aviv if the latter accepts the implementation of all the terms in the Arab peace proposal.

Al-Mouallimi also pointed out that ”the official and latest Saudi position is that we are prepared to normalize relations with Israel as soon as Israel implements the elements of the Saudi peace initiative that was presented in 2002,” and – Al-Mouallimi added – “that calls for the end of occupation of all Arab territories occupied in 1967 and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and granting the Palestinian people the right of self-determination.”

He claimed that if the Israeli occupation accepted the terms, ”the entire Muslim world” would be willing to normalize ties with it.

It is, however, unlikely that the Israeli occupation would be willing to accept the conditions. Successive Israeli administrations have all rejected the agreement that was drawn up by Saudi Arabia in 2002 and adopted by the Arab League in the same year.

The comments by Al-Mouallimi come amid speculation that Saudi Arabia is considering joining the United Arab Emirates and three other Arab nations in normalizing relations with Tel Aviv under the US brokered agreement.

On 4 November, Israeli media outlets reported that a group of US Jews had traveled to Riyadh to meet with government officials and members of the royal family to discuss the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the so-called Abraham Accords.

Businessman Phil Rosen, who was leading the delegation, was quoted as saying ”the Saudis are preparing their citizens for normalization with Israel. They see Israel as a regional power and admire its ability to defend itself.”