Crown Prince Visits White House: Palestinian Statehood Still a 'Hesitation'
The White House confirmed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) will visit Donald Trump on November 18. Al-Monitor frames this as a push for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, acknowledging the Saudis' 'hesitation to join in the absence of steps toward Palestinian statehood.' (Al-Monitor, Nov 13, 2024). This 'hesitation' is quaintly put, considering the daily onslaught in Gaza, which
has seen over 37,000 Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. It appears mass displacement and humanitarian catastrophe still constitute a mere speed bump on the road to normalization for some regional players. One might wonder if 'steps toward Palestinian statehood' is simply polite code for 'the optics aren't quite right yet.' Trump's previous Abraham
Accords deals, brokered without significant concessions for Palestinians, were hailed as diplomatic breakthroughs. The idea that another round of 'normalization' could occur while Palestinians face ongoing displacement and death raises questions about whether 'peace' is being defined by public relations rather than actual justice. How many dead civilians does it take to move past a 'hesitation'?