LONDON: Any potential deal to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would benefit the Middle East, but depends on the progress of the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians . Driving the news: Sullivan's trip is aimed at continuing the talks over a possible deal on upgrading U.S.-Saudi relations that would also include a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the two sources said. The agreement also helped ease the conflict in Yemen between the Saudis and Houthis. They also answered questions from the delegation about the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. The China-brokered March 10 dtente between long-term rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has dealt a blow to Netanyahu's diplomatic crusade of pursuing Tehran's political isolation. Shortly after the accords were signed, Saudi Arabia announced that flights from all countries, including Israel, could cross its airspace to reach the UAE. While war is a constant possibility in the region, an equally interesting and important scenario to explore is how a peace agreement between Israel and another Gulf state in the coming year could create new opportunities for regional stakeholders. Incorrect password. Uninhabited Tiran is a popular snorkeling and scuba diving destination. I intend to pursue it.. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has demonstrated that hes not afraid of enacting major changes, but hes only going to move ahead with Israeli-Saudi normalization if hes convinced it will ultimately advance his domestic agenda and longer-term vision for the country, Mogielnicki says. Although the Kingdom has not officially commented on the Abraham Accords -- a peace initiative between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain -- there have been signs of a thaw in relations in recent years. 'We came to play a role in engineering history', Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. But even then, normalization with Israel without a major shift on Palestine will be a very tough sell.. . REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst. please click OK, I Accept. Areas of potential cooperation proposed in the simulation included the Internet of Things (IoT), FinTech and agro-tech, as well as educational partnerships between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, academic exchange programs between Israeli universities and academic institutions in the Gulf, and religious tourism initiatives between Mecca and Jerusalem. The White House in a brief statement said that Sullivan arrived in Jeddah on Thursday for talks with the crown prince, who is often referred to by his initial MbS, and other Saudi officials. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Sign up for Semafor Security: A window into global dangers and deals. That now seems less likely with the Biden administration than it might have been under [Donald] Trump, Rogan says. Now, I cant say that Saudi Arabia is ready today to lean into Israel tech and buy it directly that would be a gross mischaracterization. The inflation surge of the 2020s: The role of monetary policy, 5 recommendations from Reimagine Rural for the 2023 Farm Bill and federal implementation, Putins pressure points are showingtime to strengthen Russian sanctions. Separately on Monday, Israel's foreign ministry said it had asked China to exert influence on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Overview Reports in Arabic-language media suggest that there have been several meetings between Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli officials over the last two years, with at least one of them taking place in Eilat in 2015 and another on the sidelines of the Arab summit in Jordan in March 2017. Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. But in the years since taking office as president, the Democratic leader has warmed to bin Salman, continuing the USs close ties with the Saudi kingdom. The Biden administration is keen to wrap up the diplomatic deal before the president . This was done very intentionally and very mindfully. The White House has announced that United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Saudi leaders in Jeddah to discuss peace efforts in the Middle East. Sullivan and the prince also discussed the Biden administration's hopes to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to a White House National Security Council official . We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to The signing of normalization agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain shortly afterward demonstrated the transformation in the region, as a centuries-old conflict that had defined the Middle East began to fade away. Netanyahu on Wednesday also pointed the blame at Palestinian leaders for the failure to achieve peace. Though the Palestinian issues remain a stumbling block, Khalil said its only a matter of time before the Saudis make their own arrangement with Israel as other Arab nations have. Flags of Saudi Arabia and Israel stand together in a kitchen staging area as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds meetings at the State Department in Washington, US, October 14, 2021 . In May, The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia is planning to allocate millions of dollars for investments in Israeli tech companies via Kushners new private equity firm. To read the full transcript, click here. It involves finalizing the transfer of two strategic islands in the Red Sea from Egyptian to Saudi sovereignty, five U.S. and Israeli sources told Axios. Article 50 MINUTES AGO LISTEN A new peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia could have profound geopolitical and economic impacts on the Middle East region. In Bahrain, the group met with officials from the Finance and National Economy Ministry. The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to conduct in-depth, nonpartisan research to improve policy and governance at local, national, and global levels. Clandestine cooperation between the Saudis and Israelis dates to the early 1960s, when both supported the Royalists in Yemen against the Egyptian and Soviet-backed Republican government in Sanaa. Israel and Saudi Arabia are increasingly aligned in their opposition to Iran an arch-rival and growing nuclear threat among other hot-button global issues. The Times of Israel is committed to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and independent journalism provides an essential protection for democratic equality. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Several Muslim countries would not follow the Saudis lead on normalization of relations with Israel: Algeria (the largest Arab and African country), Iraq (which just recently criminalized any contact with Israel), and Pakistan (the only Muslim state with nuclear weapons). For Israel, establishing official diplomatic ties withSaudi Arabia is viewed as"a foundational point of a larger reconciliation within the region, and more globally, beyond with the larger Muslim community around the world, Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, told Congress, 'Pariah' state: Why it may take more than golf to restore Saudi Arabia's reputation, More: Biden to meet with Saudi crown prince during trip to the kingdom despite human rights concerns, Political upheaval: Israel heads for unprecedented fifth election in three years after government collapses, Biden pressed on Khashoggi murder, defends trip to Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty), The Riyadh Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at night. It has a long history of clandestine. Global Insight investigates a major yet secretive new alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel intended to bring peace to a tumultuous region and make Saudi Arabia the uncontested leader of the Middle East. A normalization agreement could also produce new avenues for Saudi Arabia to enhance economic cooperation with Jordan and Egypt, Mogielnicki says. Biden himself visited bin Salman in Saudi Arabia last year, a move denounced by groups like Human Rights Watch (HRW). Signs Saudis are edging towards historic Israel peace 10 October 2020 Getty Images There have been growing ties between Israel and Gulf Arab states, to Palestinians' despair By Frank. "The second Arab country to make peace with Israel in . Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. The White House said the talks focused on efforts for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous and stable Middle East. He will meet with nine Arab leaders: the six Gulf monarchs plus Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. The wide-ranging talks covered initiatives to advance a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East, and efforts to find a permanent end to the years-long conflict betweenthe Saudisand Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen, according to the White House. The Jerusalem Post Customer Service Center can be contacted with any questions or requests: Sign up for The Jerusalem Post Premium Plus for just $5, Upgrade your reading experience with an ad-free environment and exclusive content, Copyright 2023 Jpost Inc. All rights reserved. For Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the political situation in Washington is simply not ripe for U.S.-backed Israeli-Saudi normalization. The Saudis have also shown hesitance to proceed with normalizing relations with Israel at a time when it is led by the most right-wing government in its history, and whentensions have soared with the Palestinians. Saudi Arabias Gulf allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognized Israel in 2020, largely to get the Saudis support against Iran. And the Israeli cause is unjust, but its advocates have proven to be successful.. The kingdom released no images of the meeting, which saw Saudi Arabias defense and energy ministers attend, along with the head of its Public Investment Fund. Everyone expressed reservations about Iran, said Burg. Before the Abraham Accords, Arab nations withheld normalization as leverage to push for a Palestinian state and improve Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, set up Affinity Partners late last year, raising some $3 billion in committed funding from international investors, including the Saudis. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia at the G20 Summit in 2022. It is home to an American military outpost that monitors the 1978 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Already a member? Normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia would effectively end anything called an Arab-Israeli conflict, said Khaled Elgindy, director of a program on Palestinian-Israeli affairs at the Middle East Institute. Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved, in a naval exercise led by the United States, with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visiting the latter this week, Bidens phone call with King Salman last week. During a press conference in Israel, President Biden said he would bring up human rights issues during his trip to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia may allow Israeli airlines to use its airspace on routes to the Far East and backand allow direct flights from Israel to Saudi Arabia for Muslims making a pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Iran and its allies like Hezbollah and the Houthis now form the common foe. Though the accords initially only established relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, other countries soon joined the normalisation agreement, including Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Saudi Arabia has a large Palestinian expatriate worker population. Manama will not cross Riyadh. Although a strict peace between Jews and Arabs has historically been as complicated as it was rare, varying levels of cooperation did occur (both out of principle and out of pragmatism)which. Israel needs moral governance that leads by example, Despite the deep divides in Israeli society, I believed we were still one people. The Saudis have not defined what progress on the Palestinian issue means in concrete terms. Any normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a "long process," said Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser. The rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia has stirred hopes among US officials of a similar Saudi agreement being reached with Israel. July 28, 2023, 6:48 AM PDT. Recently, it has said public recognition of Israel will come only if there is movement to resolve the Palestinian conflict and create a two-state solution. The Saudis and Egyptians long jostled for primacy in the Arab world, and Riyadh resoundingly rejected the Camp David Accords establishing peace and diplomatic relations between Israel and Egypt . A recent simulation conducted by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) explored under what circumstances war might break out in the Middle East in the year ahead. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Israel values its covert contacts with the Saudis but craves public recognition as the path to ending its isolation in the Islamic world. Its hard to imagine Saudis moving to normalize without some significant and tangible Israeli step on the Palestinian front, which seems almost impossible in the current environment, he says. By Associated Press. Saudi Arabia also has pushed increasingly for a nuclear cooperation deal that includes America allowing it to enrich uranium in the kingdom something that worries nonproliferation experts, as spinning centrifuges open the door to a possible weapons program. The Saudis were upset about Biden calling the country pariahs, and were eager to discuss the progress made on womens rights. A peace initiative between Israel and Saudi Arabia would lead to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israels Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu told Al Arabiya English on Wednesday.To read the full transcript, click here. The truce allowed fuel shipments to resume in some parts of the country, as well as humanitarian and food deliveries. Saudi Arabia is asking the U.S. to provide security guarantees and help to develop its civilian nuclear program as Washington tries to broker diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Israel . In 2011, Saudi troops crossed the causeway to help the Sunni ruling family crush protests by the majority Shia community on the island. The younger elements within Saudi society are more liberal and are clearly trending toward an approach to Israel that. - opinion A simulation by Wikistrat explored opportunities for Israel-Gulf relations in 2025 following the signing. They then flew to Medina, Islams second-holiest city and burial site of the Prophet Muhammad. By Kim Ghattas MOHAMMED ABED / AFP /. The meeting instead centred on bilateral and regional matters, the White House said, including initiatives for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous and stable Middle East. The group was surprised by the number of Saudis they encountered who spoke fluent English, a product of university studies in the US. JERUSALEM (AP) News of the rapprochement between long-time regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran sent shock waves through the Middle East on Saturday and dealt a symbolic blow to Israeli Prime . The Saudis have allowed direct flights from Tel Aviv to Manama, Abu Dhabi and Dubai crossing over their territory. Nevertheless, Sullivans visit coincides with an ongoing effort under US President Joe Biden to establish relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, two longtime adversaries. It also is the home of Mecca and Medina, the holy cities of Islam. As covert ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel moved into the spotlight ahead of US President Joe Bidens visit to the two Middle Eastern countries this week, a group of some 50 prominent Jewish business leaders visited the kingdom, led by an Israeli entrepreneur. U.S. President Joe Biden understands the limitations facing his Saudi hosts later this month. now is the time to act. There is a genuine curiosity and deep interest in what Israel has already solved on these issues, and how Saudi Arabia can leverage those technologies for its own interests., The conversations that we had with Saudis were nuanced, they were thoughtful, they were empathic, they were compassionate, said Jorisch. This gives them some room to maneuver. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. I remember meeting with Jared Kushner in 2018 when he laid out his strategy for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, Miller recounts. Netanyahu suggested that extending the progress made in the 2020 Abraham Accords to other Arab states would be a more effective route to peace than engaging with Palestinian leaders directly, who he claimed were not willing to recognize the State of Israel. The last major peace accordsIsrael signed with its Arab neighbors were with Egypt in 1978, then 16 years later with Jordan. A normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state, has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israel's standing in historic ways. Iran's embassy in Riyadh reopened its gates last Wednesday for the first time in seven years. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over a possible deal to normalize relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv. The Bahraini government routinely accuses Iran of supporting Shia unrest. "The chances of the peace process to be resurrected lies in the capacity of the international community, led by the United States, to define the end game before we talk," said Ben-Ami. After thousands of years of practice, we could not prevent the same passions that felled the Second Temple from undermining our Third, A Torah scroll from Wengrow, Poland survived our darkest history, unlike most of the towns residents. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. Several members of the local Jewish community and Muslim Bahrainis joined for the Friday night service. Channel 13 military correspondent Alon Ben-David and a fellow Israeli reporter identified as Israelis during their trip to Riyadh, where they were met with some coldness but not outright hostility. All of us are deeply connected to Israel, each of us wanting to bridge the divide between Saudi Arabia and Israel and build a powerful business bridge that if and when peace is signed between the two countries we can really feel like we played a role in making that happen, said Jorisch. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Israel has opened diplomatic ties with several Arab countries since 2020, including Saudi Arabia's neighbors the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. It was a tremendous trip with extraordinary visibility into the power brokers of Saudi Arabia, he said. American Jewry faces a quandary, but does it know it? Thats why we started the Times of Israel eleven years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. The White House in a brief statement said that Sullivan arrived in Jeddah on Thursday for talks with . During the flight, she told Jorisch that in the past she would have asked to move seats, but after being in the kingdom, she realized that we are the same., Another Israeli man an extraordinarily successful member of the business community, in Jorischs words was told in no uncertain terms by his security officer not to make the trip. Theres steady economic and even strategic dialogue taking place between the two countries one that I have confidence will eventually break out in the open., Kristin Smith Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, notes that Israels ties with Saudi Arabia extend to the technology sphere and aid its economic diversification plans. Riyadhs opening of its skies to Israel has sparked debate among regional experts over whether the Sunni kingdom might become the next Arab country to normalize ties with Israel, following the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan in 2020 or if it will opt to continue its covert relationship with Jerusalem while overtly prioritizing support of the Palestinian cause. Saudi officials have previously adhered to the Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories and establish a Palestinian state before normalisation can occur. Biden is flying directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, which Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Want to know more? During Blinkens recent visit, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that normalization with Israel would havelimited benefitswithout finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people.. If you share these values with us, please consider supporting our work by joining The ToI Community. And theres been no accounting and no accountability.. We view that as perhaps a giant leap towards ending the Arab-Israeli conflict," Netanyahu said, speaking during a meeting in Jerusalem with U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. For Shabbat, the delegation used the Torah scroll that Donald Trump adviser Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, had given Bahrains king in September 2020. Biden is flying directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, which Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said signifies a linkage between the visit and the ability to improve relations. Steps that could be taken in that direction include facilitating the transfer of two strategic Red Sea islands from Egyptian sovereignty to Saudi control, an unresolvedissue leftover from the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. Many of these ideas might seem far-fetched at the moment, given the lack of open relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the kingdoms commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative. He said it was an indication of a desire to end the conflict in all its terms, but I think 20 years later we need to have a fresh view., Netanyahu ally Levin chosen as new Israel parliament speaker, Israels Netanyahu promises liberal-right government, Israels Netanyahu requests more time to form government. If the U.S. is unable, for domestic political reasons, to help the Saudis upgrade their air defense systems and intelligence, the Saudis may turn to Israel, says Brandon Friedman, director of research at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East and African Studies at Tel Aviv University. 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Jorisch was born in the US, and moved to Israel as a child with his family. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

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