Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman said on Wednesday that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

During the opening of the first year of the ninth session of the Shura Council, on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince explained that “the Palestinian issue is at the forefront of your country’s concerns, and we renew the Kingdom’s rejection and strong condemnation of the crimes of the Israeli occupation authority against the Palestinian people, ignoring international and humanitarian law in a new and bitter chapter of suffering. The Kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.”

He thanked the countries that recognized the Palestinian state in embodiment of international legitimacy, and urged the rest of the countries to take similar steps.

The Crown Prince said that the Kingdom is keen to cooperate with all active countries in the international community, convinced that what protects humanity and preserves its civilized values is the joint pursuit of a better future based on fruitful cooperation between countries and peoples, respect for the independence and values of countries, adopting the principle of good neighborliness, non-interference in their internal affairs, and avoiding resorting to force in resolving disputes.