newspaper revealedWashington PostThe American News Agency, on Friday, said that “real” obstacles still stand in the way of reaching any possible normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
In this regard, the newspaper dealt with recent statements made by the Israeli National Security Adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, in which he said that his country is not ready to make “meaningful concessions” on the issue of establishing a Palestinian state, which he believes is one of the preconditions set by Riyadh in order to ensure rapprochement with Israel.
On the other hand, the newspaper stated that Riyadh is seeking to obtain major security guarantees from Washington, which may lead to an increase in the possibilities of the United States’ involvement in Middle East conflicts.
The White House announced, on Wednesday, that there is no agreed framework for reaching an agreement under which Saudi Arabia will recognize Israel, and that many talks must be held before such an agreement is signed.
This announcement came hours after The Wall Street Journal published a report in which it said that the United States and Saudi Arabia had agreed on the broad lines of the normalization agreement with Israel.
But national security spokesman John Kirby played down the report, noting in a news briefing that “there’s still a lot of discussion going on here.”
“There is no agreement on a set of negotiations and there is no agreed framework for reaching normalization or any of the other security considerations that we and our friends in the region have,” he added.
The Washington Post reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is leading difficult talks, as he seeks US arms deals and a comprehensive NATO-style security agreement with Washington.
She added, “Such an agreement would oblige the United States to respond militarily in the event of an attack on Saudi territory.”
Saudi Arabia also wants to obtain Washington’s help in developing a civilian nuclear program, although there are differences about the role that the United States can play in this regard, according to the newspaper.
It indicates that Riyadh wants to enrich its own uranium fuel, while Washington prefers a deal similar to the one it struck with the UAE, which imports reactor fuel.
On the other hand, the newspaper says that Israel, too, has stressed that it will not give up the final status of Jerusalem, as the Palestinians demand that the eastern part of it be their capital.
Saudi officials have long vowed to abide by the decades-old position of the Arab League, which is not to normalize relations with Israel before resolving the conflict with the Palestinians.
On Thursday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said that the Palestinian Authority hopes to communicate with Saudi Arabia to discuss its concerns about a possible agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Israel.
US President Joe Biden said last week that a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel “may be under way” after months of efforts by US officials to broker an agreement between the two old foes.
Saudi Arabia has long supported the Palestinian cause and has shied away from official contacts with Israel, but tacitly accepted the so-called Abraham Accords between Israel and Gulf states.
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2023-08-11 12:38:12
