Tentative Steps Toward a New Saudi-Israeli Relationship

BY: ANTHONY CHIMENTE

US delegation led by Jake Sullivan met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia to discuss Israel-Saudi relations.

[{"selector":"#anim-69660c23-f0fd-4f4d-8236-d44c6f2eaa70","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4f2e5545-ecbc-4aea-8185-1b58a87c3f39","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 119.22705%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0aa0182d-5217-4831-9dce-6310dd8be3a2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

After 9/11, US Ambassador Robert Jordan questioned Saudi officials on their nationals' involvement, who shifted blame to Israel.

[{"selector":"#anim-d6942a23-97ab-40f2-b79a-d0ed8fbe7371 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(1.9109184312747045%, -0.056695040440191316%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aef8300b-d5cf-4d93-adf3-9336fe9387d9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c50cf5cc-ae2d-4d16-bd3e-526a2d306d1c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 118.24290%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Crown Prince MbS sees Israel as a potential ally, and Saudi businessman Alwaleed bin Talal highlights their shared interests.

[{"selector":"#anim-82e8e92e-f354-46b1-a4de-a94d1d764c2c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55f42538-48f7-4bf0-bc61-7c2d25442382","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-59a0cfb0-c6a8-4e62-940a-32768c077de2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 119.01903%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Crown prince views Israel as a strategic ally for mutual benefits in domestic projects, economy, and technological advancements.

[{"selector":"#anim-5f9b6d75-d804-4d2c-a3de-3412ddfae89f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8550f5ff-8f2c-4ba7-a313-9bb8f46cac78","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb6865c7-51de-45cb-bf7c-8db6f674718b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 117.98174%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Israel-Saudi normalization: Complementary economies, enhanced security, and regional integration for mutual benefits and leverage.

[{"selector":"#anim-bd883d48-1084-49d6-81f4-c78a30583cca [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, -1.5219154094412306%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ceadb4e-e22e-4e83-b25c-cd32eaf57f83","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d5085fa9-040d-49c1-9c72-93c69892dc0a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 117.98174%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Sullivan hints at ongoing normalization talks, emphasizing national security interest, avoids further comments on the matter.

[{"selector":"#anim-45311b81-d3cd-47b3-89c3-6354c54a14b7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(1.644547983278831%, -4.523973086036051%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51a24630-acad-437b-bd22-e450476bf773","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f5b4ddd-771d-483d-9c1e-60d6bfccaf58","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 119.22705%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] © Wikimedia Commons / wikimedia.org

Biden's motivation for normalization lies in foreign policy, domestic politics, and countering criticism of US diplomatic decline.

[{"selector":"#anim-0c933f87-6163-419d-8cb3-c6ac3d591d4f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1d78ac0-f9bc-430f-9025-cb2024523cb3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-16dd3843-baeb-490d-8b1b-6f80ea1b9c2b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 114.87924%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Biden hopes Israeli-Saudi normalization could persuade Netanyahu to change West Bank policies and expand Arab-Israeli normalization.

[{"selector":"#anim-92caf5c2-8336-4ca5-a6c9-1dd9bc1720e8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-0.17371985738860996%, -1.2175322723897004%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7af37561-96dd-4737-b200-03ba560229f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95cf93cb-6f5f-4bd1-b893-2484ecd7b0ed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 119.01903%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

CLICK HERE TO READ

[{"selector":"#anim-ac147049-bfb7-4cf0-96ef-c9e6d301f23f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]