By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
RIYADH/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Saudi Arabia has softened its position on Palestinian statehood, telling Washington that “a public commitment” from Israel to a two-state solution “could be enough” for the Gulf kingdom to normalize relations with the Jewish nation, according to Saudi and Western officials.
In remarks Friday, the officials also announced that Riyadh abandoned its pursuit of an “ambitious defense treaty” with Washington and sought “a more modest military cooperation agreement” in return for regular ties with Israel.
According to Western diplomats familiar with his thinking, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views normalization with Saudi Arabia as a historical milestone and a sign of broader acceptance in the Arab world.
But he faces opposition at home to any concessions to Palestinians in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that killed some 1,200 people.
And with public anger in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East mounting over Israel’s strikes against Hamas in Gaza, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has again made recognition of Israel conditional on it taking concrete steps to create a Palestinian state.
Yet, with U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump soon becoming dealmaker-in-chief, Riyadh and Washington hope a more modest defense pact could be sealed before Joe Biden leaves the White House on January 20.
A full-blown U.S.-Saudi treaty would need to pass the U.S. Senate with a two-thirds majority, and this would be a non-starter unless Riyadh recognizes Israel, several sources said.
However, Trump has made it clear that he wants to extend the Abraham Accords, which already include agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain, on September 15, 2020.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel is exploring a strategic security partnership with Somaliland that could potentially include a military presence near the mouth of the Red Sea, according to officials cited in a Bloomberg report.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced Wednesday that member nations will release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves, the largest coordinated drawdown in the agency’s history, as the war with Iran disrupts global energy supplies.
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the first new U.S. oil refinery built in half a century will be constructed in Brownsville, Texas, calling the project a historic milestone for American energy independence.
Israel’s military believes Iran’s ability to launch ballistic missiles at the Jewish state could collapse by as much as 95% within days, according to reports Tuesday citing senior Israeli Air Force officials.
U.S. forces have struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, according to an operational update Wednesday from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper.
Three commercial cargo vessels were struck by projectiles early Wednesday in or near the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the growing threat to global shipping lanes as the war between the United States, Israel and Iran intensifies.
Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, has called on the Iranian people to prepare for what he described as the decisive stage of their struggle against the Islamic regime, urging citizens to await his “final call” as tensions continue to escalate in the country.