LONDON — Saudi Arabia reaffirmed that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless it recognizes an independent Palestine State on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This was stated by Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi ambassador to Britain. "We will not normalize relations with Israel at the expense of Palestinians. Moreover, Israel should stop its aggression on the Gaza Strip and withdraw all members of the Israeli occupation forces from Gaza," he said while speaking at the conference of the Royal Institute of International Affairs or Chatham House in London on Thursday. Prince Khalid bin Bandar reiterated Saudi Arabia's unequivocal position related to Palestine. "Riyadh constantly stresses its firm position that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless it recognizes an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. As a result of its global standing and the international weight it enjoys, Saudi Arabia's efforts have resulted in creating a positive global response to recognize the State of Palestine," he said. The Saudi position confirms the international consensus on the inherent right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, he said while drawing attention to the fact that the United Nations General Assembly approved, by an overwhelming majority, a draft resolution recommending that the UN Security Council should give favorable consideration to Palestine's request for full membership in the United Nations. Riyadh had renewed its call to the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council that have not yet recognized the Palestine State, to accelerate the recognition of the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, so that the Palestinian people can secure their legitimate rights and achieve a comprehensive and just peace for all the people of Palestine.
