‘Let’s make history’: At WTO, Israel and Saudi Arabia push for normalisation amid Gaza War

Will the WTO Ministerial meet in Abh Dhabi become the place where the idea of permanent peace in West Asia finds roots? Israel and Saudi Arabia have, sort of, suggested this was possible as the representatives of the two countries met on cordial terms and were spotted shaking hands.

Israel’s Economy Minister Nir Barkat met Saudi Arabia’s Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi and told him, according to a report by the Times of Israel, that the two nations could “make history” together.

The two could be seen talking on the sidelines of the conference, they even exchanged business cards.

Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat meeting with Saudi Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi in Abu Dhabi pic.twitter.com/sjS5sC9vfa

— Lahav Harkov 🎗️ (@LahavHarkov) February 26, 2024

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“Israel is interested in peace with countries that seek peace, and we can make history together,” Barkat, Times of Israel said, told his Saudi counterpart.

The development comes amid the ongoing Israeli war on Hamas in Gaza that is on the anvil of spilling into Rafah. Hitherto, the two countries have been at loggerheads over the war, with Saudi Arabia making it clear that there would be no diplomatic relations with Israel until Tel Aviv, at least, gave a political commitment for the creation of the State of Palestine. Saudi Arabia, however, has not pressed for any immediate concrete action by Israel.

Earlier, the Saudi foreign ministry statement said the “Kingdom has communicated its firm position to the U.S. administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital”.

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It reiterated “its call to the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council that have not yet recognized the Palestinian state, to expedite the recognition of the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital”.

The geographical limits that Saudi Arabia has been referring to is the state the Palestinians alongside Israel in territories Israel occupied in a 1967 war: the West Bank including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

The statement added that “Israeli aggression” against the Gaza Strip must also stop and Israeli forces must withdraw from the territory.