Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Arab Saudi is said to be exploring the possibility of defense cooperation with United States of America in return for Riyadh’s normalization with Israel.
Three sources from the White House who are familiar with this matter said Saudi would still agree to this cooperation agreement, including normalization with Israel, even though Tel Aviv did not promise major concessions regarding Palestine.
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Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has emphasized that the Palestinian issue is one of the important “conditions” regarding the prospect of normalizing relations with Israel.
These three sources revealed that in the agreement, Palestine may receive an easing of restrictions from Israel, but this step is far from the expectations of Ramallah, which is still struggling to establish an independent Palestinian state.
As with other Arab-Israeli agreements in recent years, the core Palestinian demand for statehood is said to be set aside in this Saudi Arabia-US agreement.
“Normalization will occur between Israel and Saudi Arabia. If Palestine opposes it, the kingdom [Saudi] will continue with its plans,” one regional source was quoted as saying ReutersFriday (29/9).
[Gambas:Video CNN]
The source then said, “Saudi Arabia supports the peace plan for Palestine, but this time they want something for Saudi interests, not just for Palestine.”
The sources said the parameters of the defense pact were still being studied, adding that what was being discussed was not an alliance agreement or anything like that.
“This will be a mutual defense understanding, not a full agreement,” said one of the sources.
This agreement is a reward for Saudi normalization with Israel and is said to make a difference in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has always required Palestinian independence if the Zionist state wants to open diplomatic relations with them.
However, a number of Israeli politicians reportedly objected to the consensus.
Israel has been occupying the Palestinian territory from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. They also often commit violence against Palestinians, and do not even hesitate to shoot them.
Palestine and Israel are also at odds over East Jerusalem. The state led by Mahmoud Abbas wants this area as the capital of Palestine.
This agreement is said to not fulfill the NATO-style defense guarantees that Saudi initially wanted during US President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle Eastern country in July 2022.
A source in Washington said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) had asked for a NATO-style agreement, but the US was reluctant to fulfill NATO’s Article 5 commitments.
This article states that an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all allies.
The source said Saudi Arabia could be designated as a Major Non-NATO Ally, a status already granted to Israel.
According to sources, Saudi-US relations will be more like US-Israel relations which receive the most advanced weapons, hold joint air force and missile defense exercises.
Meanwhile, sources in the Gulf say the Saudis are ready to accept a pact that does not comply with NATO’s Article 5 guarantee, as long as the US must commit to protecting the country if attacked.
The source also said the deal may be similar to the Bahrain deal, with extra commitments.
Other sources said the agreement looked like US agreements with Asian countries.
Biden’s aides, the sources continued, could consider a similar pact with Japan and other Asian allies. In the agreement, the US promised military support but did not explicitly state that US troops would be deployed.
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[Gambas:Video CNN]
2023-09-30 06:00:28
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