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 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Nigeria says it has provided intelligence support to the United States ahead of Christmas Day airstrikes targeting militants linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) group in the country’s northwest, where Christians had been among those suffering from Islamic extremism.
Authorities say a third of Kyiv is without heating after a deadly Russian drone and missile barrage on the Ukrainian capital cut off power supplies, leaving hundreds of thousands of people facing freezing temperatures. The attack, which reportedly killed at least one person and wounded two dozen others, prompted nearby Poland to scramble fighter jets and close civilian airports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he plans to travel to the United States in the coming days for a key meeting with U.S. President Donald J. Trump, as Washington pushes for possible peace talks to end Russia’s nearly four-year-long war against Ukraine.
A Christian father of three was murdered in Pakistan’s Punjab province by Muslims over the Christmas holiday because of his faith in Christ, confirmed sources told Worthy News on Friday.
Millions of people across hard-hit California faced mounting challenges Friday as a powerful rain and wind storm, fueled by an atmospheric river from the Pacific, continued to batter large parts of the state, following weather-related deaths earlier in the week amid widespread flooding, debris flows, and power outages.
European monarchs used their televised Christmas speeches to call for compassion, unity, and responsibility in a year marked by war in Ukraine, deep divisions, and widespread anxiety over Europe’s future.
Bangladesh Opposition Leader Returns Home After 17 Years, Draws Massive Crowds By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent DHAKA (Worthy News)— Bangladesh opposition leader Tarique Rahman has returned home after 17 years in exile, pledging safety, justice, and national unity if he becomes the troubled nation’s next leader following elections expected in February. Rahman arrived in Dhaka from London, where he had lived in exile in the United Kingdom since 2008, according to party officials. Hundreds of thousands of supporters welcomed the aspiring prime minister in the capital, Dhaka, lining roads from the airport and gathering for a … Read more