Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud Said NBC News on Friday reported that Saudi Arabia was “on track” to normalize relations with Israel ahead of the ferocious Hamas attack on October 7, which could lead to further political developments in the Gaza war. became impossible.
“I think up until October 7th, we were making very good progress. It's hard to explain how close we were. It can't really be quantified,” said the Saudi. The top diplomat spoke at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
“We were working on the Palestinian issue, which was important to us, and we were making good progress,” he said.
“We need to talk about the big picture, the situation for Palestinians. What we need to do is talk about a Palestinian state. What we feel is important at this moment is to have faith in a Palestinian state. “It's about finding a path that's natural and there's no turning back,” he insisted.
Prince Faisal said his government was working with the United Nations and the US government to “arrive at a roadmap for peace in the Middle East.”
“We all need to work towards de-escalation. The region is already in turmoil. Our message to everyone, including Iran's neighbors, is that we all need to work towards de-escalation. That's true.''
Faisal explicitly said At a WEF panel on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said it intends to recognize Israel as part of a broader deal that includes a Palestinian state.
“We agree that regional peace includes peace for Israel, but that can only come through peace for Palestinians through a Palestinian state,” he said.
“The peace and security of Israel is inextricably linked to the peace and security of the Palestinian people. We are in full agreement with that,” he declared.
He referred to Israel's response to the Hamas atrocities on October 7, adding: “What Israel is doing now is endangering the prospects for peace and security in the region.”
of era of israel I got it. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, and sends a message urging Israel to end operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and transition to a Palestinian state. Adjusted the transmission of.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday was denied The United States is pressuring the Gaza operation to end or make concessions to the Palestinian state.
“There is something I can say about their call for the day after Prime Minister Netanyahu. I don't like to speak about myself in the third person. We are talking about establishment,” he said at a press conference in Tel Aviv.
“This conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is not about the absence of a Palestinian state, but about the existence of a Jewish state,” Netanyahu said.
Pollack: What you need to know about the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
israel leader I got it. “Israel must maintain security control over all territory west of the Jordan River” because “terrorism will be directed against us in every territory from which we withdraw.”
“I explained this truth to the American people,” Netanyahu said. “The Israeli prime minister has to be able to say 'no' even to his closest friends. Say 'no' when necessary and 'yes' when possible.”
The Biden administration vehemently rejected Prime Minister Netanyahu's position, telling Israelis that there would be diplomatic rewards for giving the Palestinians a state, clearly aiming to be “the day after Netanyahu.”
“For the first time in history, countries in the region are ready to strengthen their integration with Israel and provide real security to Israel, and the United States is ready to play its part, but countries must do so. “I have a willing partner on the other side.'' Said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was unhappy.
Biden administration officials looked down on them even more Said NBC News reported that enough pressure could probably force the Israeli prime minister to cave in.
“If we take such a statement as the final word, there will be no humanitarian aid to Gaza and no hostages will be released,” the official said, referring to Netanyahu's rejection of U.S. and Saudi demands for a Palestinian state. It will not be done,” he said.
“As with these issues and many others, we will continue to work toward the right outcome, especially on those with which we strongly disagree,” the Biden official said.
Pollster Dana Scheindlin Said politiko On Friday, the Biden campaign said it was illogical to portray Netanyahu as an unfairly entrenched obstacle to the peace plan because “Israelis are in a bellicose mood” and that Israelis' That's because 75% reject the US' demands for concessions to the Palestinians after the war on October 7th. Cruelty.
Many observers believe that Iran's Hamas and its supporters may have hoped that the October 7 attack would disrupt peace talks and make it impossible for Arab states to normalize relations with Israel. I doubt it. Given Prince Faisal's comments, this whole horrifying nightmare may have been unleashed because Iran thought Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies were close to a diplomatic deal with Israel.
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Joel B. Pollack/Breitbart News
of financial times on thursday report Sunni Arab states, with support from the United States and European governments, are preparing a grand deal that would provide diplomatic recognition for Israel in exchange for an end to the Gaza war, statehood for the Palestinians, and Palestinian membership in the United Nations.
“Given Israel's political system today, perhaps normalization is what can bring Israelis off the cliff,” said the Arab official.
of financial times I got it:
Saudi Arabia's willingness to consider normalizing relations could become an important bargaining chip with Israel, which views diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia as the most important prize in its efforts to develop relations with Arab countries. The oil-rich kingdom stands out as the leader of the Sunni Muslim world and as the custodian of Islam's two holiest sites.
The problem facing these Arab leaders and Biden officials is that polls show that not only the Netanyahu government but also the majority of Israelis, the majority of the people, do not want diplomatic pampering or security from the Sunni Muslim kingdom. There is good reason to doubt the pledge. This is enough to balance the risk of retributing one of the most barbaric attacks in human history with the creation of a Palestinian state that could well serve as a permanent base for further large-scale attacks. .
