Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called for progress in the process of normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, in an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya network. In the interview, published on Thursday, 16 July, Herzog said: “My dream is to see peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia. I have great respect for the Crown Prince [of Saudi Arabia], Mohammed bin Salman.” The Israeli president added that “the greatest wish in Israel is to see closer ties and improved relations between the two nations.” Saudi Arabia and Israel had been engaged in preliminary talks over a possible normalisation agreement in 2023, but the process was halted following the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Agence France-Presse reported that the ongoing war in Gaza has led to increasingly critical and less conciliatory positions towards Israel among many Arab countries. Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, says more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict. Israel and some international sources have disputed aspects of the figures and their breakdown. Saudi officials have repeatedly stated that they will not recognise Israel without a clear roadmap towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state — a proposal opposed by Israel’s current government.
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