Watan-Description by the Israeli Prime Minister Isaac Herzog: Relations with Saudi Arabia are described as essential to ending the war in Gaza.

Herzog stated at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday that normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be a key element in ending the war with Hamas and would change the dynamics in the entire Middle East.

This comes two days after controversial statements made by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, stating that Saudi Arabia might recognize Israel if the Palestinian crisis is resolved, emphasizing that the normalization project is still ongoing but conditional.

Herzog commented, “It remains sensitive and fragile and will take a long time, but I believe it is actually an opportunity to move forward in the world and the region towards a better future.”

At a time when the Israeli military seems trapped in defeats in Gaza and without a clear way out, Isaac Herzog spoke about what he described as the “post-Gaza war” phase.

He said, “We all realize that there must be a vision, and I think part of it should also be a return to the normalization process between Israel and its neighbors in the region,” claiming that “this requires support for Israel’s efforts to undermine Hamas’s capabilities.”

Saudi Arabia had suspended normalization talks with Israel due to the Israeli war in Gaza.

Netanyahu and his extremist government

In turn, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated in his speech in Davos that the path to establishing a state for the Palestinians could help improve the security of the occupying state and its relations with other countries in the region.

However, Netanyahu and his right-wing government oppose the concept of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Herzog stated that popular support for the Israeli Prime Minister is low.

The World Economic Forum kicked off on Monday in the Swiss resort of Davos under the theme “Rebuilding Trust.”