Israel aims to broaden its political ties
The expansion of the Abraham Accords has been growing steadily since they were signed in August 2020. According to information from a senior Israeli official to Al-Ain, the Netanyahu-led government is hoping for more alliances in the near future. As the main focus of the expansion of US-sponsored peace treaties, Israel expects the addition of Saudi Arabia to be a key move in uniting other nations, and sees it as a coup de main for political stability.
The director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, Ronen Levy, told a conference at Israel's National Security Research Institute that while making peace with Saudi Arabia is a crucial step, other nations should also not be overlooked, each of which has the opportunity to achieve peace even before the Saudi kingdom". He added, without naming them, "if in the future we have a peace agreement, it will not be with one country, but with two or more"
Following a recent trip to Washington, he noted that there was a US commitment to advance peace. Yossi Cohen, former Mossad intelligence chief, said that "peace with Saudi Arabia is definitely feasible". He claimed, at the same conference, that he was "based on personal information, not intelligence on the matter". "It could happen," Cohen continued, "if things work out with US assurances and specific statements on the Palestinian issue."
"The Middle East is entering a new era of courageous leaders and together we can build something meaningful and wonderful." Although they had previously emphasised that normalisation of relations with Israel will not happen before "granting the Palestinians a state", Saudi officials did not respond to the Israeli officials' statements. This is in line with the Kingdom's position, which was reiterated months earlier in line with the international position, which favours the creation of a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel as part of a 'two-state solution'.
The White House says the Abraham Accords and regional security are a priority for everyone, according to US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nidis. The State Department and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken take all these issues very seriously. Across the Pacific, China's influence over Saudi Arabia and Iran has reconciled their political differences. Israel sees the Iranian regime as a security threat because of what it believes to be Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons, which has led to a years-long diplomatic rift between the Saudis and Iranians.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, stressed that his nation will not establish ties with Tel Aviv before an Israeli-Palestinian agreement is reached. Riyadh wanted Washington to take a more encouraging stance, and they acknowledged this, according to Cohen. In an affirmation of the Kingdom's position in line with the international position, which calls for a "two-state solution" by establishing a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel, Saudi officials did not respond to the Israeli minister's remarks.
However, they had previously stressed months earlier that normalisation of relations with the Hebrew nation will not come before "granting a state to the Palestinians". In the past, Cohen has had a significant impact on Israel-Sudan relations. During a visit to Khartoum in February, Cohen reached an agreement with Sudanese authorities that a peace agreement would be signed after the establishment of a Sudanese government. Cohen stated: "I hope the talks in Riyadh will bring calm to Sudan. The recent conflicts in Sudan have not diminished Israel's hopes for a peace agreement".