Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Adviser, is slated to journey towards Saudi Arabia this week. His mission is a scheduled dialogue with Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince, as the US continues to make strides towards bridging the divide between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Recently, progress on talks of normalization came to a brief stall in the wake of the October 7 Palestinian Hamas terrorist attack on southern Israel, and the consequent war that ensued in Gaza. However, the past few months have witnessed the revival of these discussions. An American official revealed that Sullivan’s intended discussions with the Crown Prince were designed to assess the situation, without an anticipation for any major leaps forward.
Additionally, another official from the US conveyed that Sullivan would delve into a broad range of concerns during his consultation. After a period of absence, his return to Saudi Arabia holds much to consider, as the official noted.
Just last month, on March 21st, Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, confirmed that there was a significant headway in the discussions between the US and Saudi Arabia to normalize their ties with Israel. Despite this, no concrete timetable on the completion of an agreement was given.
In the scenario of a normalization agreement, Saudi Arabia has shown its keenness to secure a mutual defense pact with Washington extending its support for the country’s civil nucleic program.
Earlier in March, a higher-ranking official from the State Department, who accompanied Blinken, revealed that the discussions in Saudi Arabia centered on the bilateral sections of a more comprehensive plan. This scheme encompasses Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel, given that credible progress is made in the creation of a Palestinian state.
Saudi Arabia, home to the most significant Islamic sites, has refrained from any formal recognition of Israel, maintaining that it would only be considered after a fair resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is achieved.
Meanwhile, Israel, under the firm rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, holds a rigid opposition to Palestinian statehood. This aspect, as stated by the Saudis, is a vital requirement for any agreement that aims at normalizing the relations.
