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
Lebanon is seeking to extend a fragile ceasefire with Israel as officials from both nations prepare for a second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Washington, D.C., marking a rare moment of direct engagement after decades of hostility.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran is suffering severe financial losses due to ongoing restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, estimating the Islamic Republic is losing roughly $500 million per day.
The European Union moved toward unlocking a 90 billion euro (about $106 billion) loan to Kyiv on Wednesday after officials said Russian oil was again flowing to Hungary and Slovakia following months of disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine.
Hungary’s incoming conservative prime minister Péter Magyar has come under mounting pressure after the European Court of Justice ruled that Hungary violated “core values” of the European Union by adopting legislation it says discriminates against LGBTQ+ people.
Communities in Nigeria’s central Plateau state were grieving Tuesday after suspected Islamic gunmen killed at least eight Christians and injured 10 others in a series of coordinated overnight attacks, Christian sources said.
The United States is turning to an unusual but highly effective combination of cutting-edge technology and trained marine mammals as it works to clear dangerous naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of global shipping.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is returning to Washington to participate in a second round of ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon set for Thursday.