Saudi Arabia’s Pivotal Role in Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks: A Path to Stability in 2025

Introduction: Saudi Arabia’s Growing Influence in Middle East Peace

As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to shape Middle East geopolitics, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key player in efforts to revive peace talks, particularly in 2025. Co-chairing a postponed United Nations conference with France, originally set for June 17-20, 2025, in New York, the kingdom is leveraging its diplomatic weight to push for a two-state solution. This blog post explores Saudi Arabia’s evolving role in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, its motivations, challenges, and potential impact on regional stability. From its historic Arab Peace Initiative to recent diplomatic maneuvers, Saudi Arabia’s actions reflect a delicate balance of pragmatism, regional ambition, and commitment to the Palestinian cause.

Historical Context: The Arab Peace Initiative

Saudi Arabia’s engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process dates back to 2002, when then-Crown Prince Abdullah proposed the Arab Peace Initiative (API) at an Arab League summit in Beirut. The API offered Israel full normalization with Arab states in exchange for withdrawing to the 1967 borders, establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and addressing the Palestinian refugee issue per UN resolutions. Endorsed by the Arab League, the initiative marked a bold shift, signaling Arab willingness for peace while prioritizing Palestinian rights.

Despite its significance, the API faced challenges. Israel rejected it in 2002, citing concerns over refugee returns and security. Hamas, controlling Gaza, expressed reservations, though it later softened its stance. Over time, the API became a cornerstone of Saudi diplomacy, balancing support for Palestinians with a pragmatic openness to Israel, especially as regional threats like Iran’s influence grew.

Saudi Arabia’s Role in 2025: The UN Conference and Beyond

In 2025, Saudi Arabia’s role intensified through its co-chairing of the UN conference aimed at advancing the two-state solution. Announced by France and Saudi Arabia, the event sought to move beyond rhetoric to concrete steps, including:

• Recognition of Palestinian Statehood: Encouraging more nations to recognize Palestine, building on the nearly 150 UN members that already do.

• Palestinian Authority Reforms: Supporting PA efforts to hold elections, combat corruption, and disarm Hamas, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of a demilitarized Palestinian state.

• Regional Integration: Promoting mutual recognition, with Saudi Arabia potentially normalizing ties with Israel if Palestinian statehood progresses.

The conference’s postponement, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on June 13, 2025, due to Israel’s strikes on Iran and logistical issues, highlighted the region’s volatility. However, Saudi Arabia remains committed, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) emphasizing that normalization with Israel hinges on a Palestinian state. Manal bint Hassan Radwan, head of Saudi Arabia’s negotiating team, called the preparatory meeting “historic,” urging actionable outcomes.

Motivations Behind Saudi Arabia’s Engagement

Saudi Arabia’s involvement in peace talks is driven by a mix of strategic, economic, and domestic considerations:

• Countering Iran: Shared concerns with Israel about Iran’s regional influence, including its nuclear ambitions and support for proxies like Hezbollah, have drawn Saudi Arabia closer to Israel. Secret meetings between Saudi and Israeli officials since 2015 underscore this alignment.

• Regional Leadership: As the birthplace of Islam and home to its holiest sites, Saudi Arabia seeks to cement its role as a Middle East leader. Championing the Palestinian cause while engaging Israel enhances its diplomatic clout.

• Economic Vision 2030: MBS’s ambitious economic diversification plan requires regional stability. A peace deal could unlock trade and investment opportunities, including with Israel.

• Domestic Legitimacy: Saudi public opinion, with 68% opposing normalization without Palestinian statehood in 2024, pressures MBS to uphold the Palestinian cause.

Key Initiatives and Diplomatic Moves

Saudi Arabia has taken several steps to advance peace talks:

• Palestine Summit (March 2025): Held in Egypt, this summit saw Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, reject Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians from Gaza. The summit’s declaration supported a Palestinian state and offered Israel normalization in exchange for peace.

• Global Alliance for Two-State Solution: In September 2024, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced a global alliance with Arab, Muslim, and European partners to push for a two-state solution, reinforcing Riyadh’s commitment.

• Engagement with Palestinians: Saudi Arabia hosted PA delegations to discuss leveraging potential normalization with Israel to advance Palestinian interests, appointing its first ambassador to the PA in 2023.

• Balancing Iran Ties: Saudi Arabia’s thawing relations with Iran, reaffirmed in 2025, reduce the urgency of normalization with Israel but maintain diplomatic flexibility.

Challenges to Saudi Arabia’s Role

Despite its influence, Saudi Arabia faces significant hurdles:

• Israeli Opposition: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government rejects Palestinian statehood, viewing it as a security threat post-October 7, 2023. Israel’s settlement expansion and Gaza operations complicate negotiations.

• Hamas’s Control of Gaza: Saudi Arabia’s insistence on a Hamas-free Palestinian state clashes with the group’s entrenched presence, raising questions about disarmament feasibility.

• U.S. Policy Shifts: The Trump administration’s opposition to the UN conference and preference for bilateral deals, like the Abraham Accords, limits multilateral efforts.

• Public Opinion: Saudi citizens’ strong support for Palestinians could constrain MBS if normalization appears to sideline their cause.

The Abraham Accords and Normalization Prospects

The 2020 Abraham Accords, normalizing ties between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, shifted regional dynamics by sidelining Palestinian statehood. Saudi Arabia initially softened its API stance, engaging in U.S.-mediated normalization talks with Israel in 2023. However, the Israel-Hamas war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack, paused these efforts, with Saudi Arabia reaffirming that normalization requires a Palestinian state.

In 2025, Saudi Arabia’s potential normalization with Israel remains tied to Palestinian concessions, such as a credible pathway to statehood. MBS has described a potential deal as “the biggest historical deal since the Cold War,” but insists on Palestinian inclusion. A U.S.-Saudi defense pact, another Saudi goal, further complicates negotiations, requiring congressional approval that hinges on Israel-Saudi normalization.

Saudi Arabia’s Broader Regional Strategy

Saudi Arabia’s peace efforts align with its broader diplomatic reorientation:

• Conflict Resolution: Ending its Yemen proxy war and normalizing with Iran reflect a shift toward stabilization, making peace talks a logical extension.

• Leveraging U.S. Ties: Saudi Arabia seeks U.S. security guarantees and nuclear cooperation, using its role in peace talks to strengthen this partnership.

• Engaging China: While aligning with the U.S., Saudi Arabia maintains ties with China, which brokered its Iran rapprochement, enhancing its global leverage.

Impact and Future Prospects

Saudi Arabia’s role could reshape the peace process. Its financial clout, as seen in Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan, positions it to support post-conflict recovery. Diplomatically, its alliance-building and API revival efforts keep the two-state solution viable. However, success depends on:

• A Gaza ceasefire and hostage releases to create diplomatic space.

• Israeli willingness to negotiate, potentially under a more centrist government.

• U.S. support, which may wane under Trump’s unilateral approach.

Conclusion: A Pragmatic Power in Pursuit of Peace

Saudi Arabia’s role in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks reflects its ambition to lead a stable, prosperous Middle East. By balancing Palestinian advocacy with pragmatic engagement with Israel, the kingdom navigates complex regional dynamics. While the UN conference’s postponement underscores ongoing challenges, Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a two-state solution offers hope. As MBS works with France and other partners to reschedule the event, the world watches to see if Saudi diplomacy can bridge divides that have persisted for decades.

Thought-Provoking Questions for Readers:

1. Can Saudi Arabia reconcile its push for Palestinian statehood with its interest in normalizing ties with Israel?

2. How might Saudi Arabia’s improved relations with Iran affect its role in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks?

3. Should Saudi Arabia prioritize domestic public opinion or regional stability in its peace efforts?

4. What steps could Saudi Arabia take to pressure Israel into meaningful concessions for Palestinians?

Sources:

• Reuters, September 27, 2024

• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, March 5, 2025

• The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, February 7, 2024

• UN News, June 12, 2025

• War on the Rocks, April 30, 2025

• International Bar Association, October 2017

• Atlantic Council, April 26, 2025

• CNN, May 2, 2024

• The Times of Israel, September 13, 2023

• X posts, June 13, 2025

• Additional sources from original blog post (France24.com, Politico.eu, TheGuardian.com, JewishInsider.com)