The controversial Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), acknowledged the right of Jews to a nation-state and stressed on the need for a peace plan that assures stability for both Palestinians and Israelis on “their own land”, in an interview published by The Atlantic.

“I believe that each people, anywhere, has a right to live in their peaceful nation. I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land,” he told Jeffrey Goldberg.

When asked whether Saudi Arabia had a religious objection against Israel, MBS dismissed a religion-based conflict and referred to the Prophet Muhammad marrying a Jewish woman to support his historic claim.

He asserted that Jews come to Saudi Arabia from America and Europe but in contrast expressed concerns over the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the rights of the Palestinian people.

The interviewer also inquired whether the recently improved relations between Saudi and Israel were only due to a common enemy in the face of Iran, to which the crown prince praised Israel’s economic prowess relative to its size.

He continued to say that if there was peace issues between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt and Jordan would have common interests with Jordan.

Recently, Saudi Arabia and Israel have bonded over their opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to the BBC. The latest example of mutual agreement came when Saudi Arabia permitted flights between Israel and India to pass through their airspace in March 2018.