Overview
- Prince Faisal bin Farhan leads an Arab ministerial delegation to Ramallah on Sunday, marking the highest-level Saudi visit to the occupied West Bank since 1967.
- He is set to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Arab counterparts from Egypt, Jordan and other states to demonstrate unity behind peace efforts and bolster the Palestinian Authority as the Gaza war continues.
- Riyadh has linked any future normalization with Israel to the creation of a Palestinian state and is urging Western capitals to follow France in recognizing Palestine as early as June.
- Next month, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair a UN conference in New York aimed at reviving two-state negotiations.
- The visit comes as Israel expands West Bank settlements and its defense minister vows to establish a Jewish state in the territory, fueling regional tensions.