Saudi Media: Saudi Arabia is in no hurry to normalize its relations with Israel under US auspices
Saudi media confirmed, Saturday, that Saudi Arabia isn’t in a rush to establish relations with Israel under US auspices.
Acording to local Saudi newspaper “Al Riyadh”, negotiating important matters and issues will be long until reaching points of convergence between the negotiating parties, and it may take longer than expected.
The Saudi newspaper confirmed that negotiating to establish relations with Israel will pass through stages, with another path being to prepare the appropriate ground, so that the agreement is built on clear foundations, and each party knows what it has and what it owes if completed.
The White House confirmed earlier that negotiations aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia continue to advance.
National Security Council spokesman at the White House, John Kirby, said, “The two sides have established a basic framework for what can be moved toward,” indicating that a “basic framework for a future agreement” has been reached.
Kirby added that “everyone must make concessions like any complex agreement,” without giving further details.
On this context, Saudi Arabia is determined to reach a military agreement obligating the United States to defend it, in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel, and that it won’t disrupt the agreement even if Israel doesn’t make major concessions to the Palestinians in order to establish an independent state.
Israeli i24 news quoted a senior Israeli official, that an agreement was reached between the US President, Joe Biden, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to retain the two-state solution option as part of what he called a comprehensive agreement for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The White House wants Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians in order to obtain the support of Democratic senators for a deal that could also include a defense alliance between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Crown Prince stated in an interview with the Fox News channel on September 21 that Saudi Arabia is making progress towards normalization with Israel.
According to reports, Saudi Arabia links the normalization issue to its acquisition of a peaceful nuclear plant with US assistance, something that Israeli officials fear will happen, expressing their rejection of an agreement that gives Saudi Arabia the ability to enrich uranium, even if it’s under US umbrella.
Israel had signed agreements to normalize relations with several Arab countries in the past few years, such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, and similar understandings with Sudan, in late 2020, under US sponsorship, and currently seeks to sign a similar agreement with Saudi Arabia.
