Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reiterated that Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without the creation of an independent Palestinian state. In a speech on Wednesday, he strongly condemned what he described as the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” against the Palestinian people. “The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” the Crown Prince, known as MBS, stated. The Crown Prince made these remarks during his annual address to the Shura Council, on behalf of his father, King Salman. The council had earlier sworn an oath of office before MBS.