Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the United Nations voiced Tuesday the kingdom's readiness to normalize relations with Israel on the condition that the Arab Peace Initiative was implemented.

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The announcement was published in an English-language interview conducted by the Saudi newspaper Arab News with Abdallah Al-Mouallimi.

"The official Saudi position is that we are ready to normalize relations with Israel as soon as the terms of the [the Arab Peace Initiative] that was put forwards in 2002 are implemented," Al-Mouallimi said.

He explained that the initiative "calls for ending the occupation of all Arab lands occupied by Israel in 1967, establishing an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, and granting the Palestinians the right to self-determination.

"Once this happens, it is not only Saudi Arabia but the entire Islamic world, and the 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will follow us … in recognizing Israel and establishing relations with it," Al-Mouallimi said. 

The Arab Peace Initiative, also known as the Saudi Initiative, was adopted by the League of Arab States during a summit in 2002 in Beirut, Lebanon. It calls for the establishment of an internationally recognized Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital.

"Time does not change right or wrong," Al-Mouallimi stressed, Arab News reported. "Israeli practices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with regard to settlements, siege and deprive Palestinians of their dignity and rights."

In early November, a delegation of Jewish communities in the United States met with senior Saudi officials in the kingdom in efforts to advance normalization.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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Saudi Arabia remains committed to the Arab Peace Plan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said Wednesday.

The plan was proposed by Saudi Arabia as a framework for Israel normalizing relations with the Arab world in exchange for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

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Speaking to the Saudi national news agency, bin Farhan said that unilateral steps by Israel were hurting chances for peace.

Bin Farhan also said that his country saw Israel's plans to apply sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and over settlements in Judea and Samaria as an "illegitimate step."

The Saudi foreign minister also criticized Iran for its attempts to develop nuclear weapons.

"The weapons embargo on Iran must continue," he said.

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The post 'Israel's unilateral approach is hurting chances for peace' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.