US 'cautiously optimistic' of Saudi-Israel normalization, says kingdom agrees to vague 'roadmap': Report
Despite the claims from Washington, MbS has reportedly told his aides that he is 'not ready' for a full normalization deal with the current government in Tel Aviv
The US and Saudi Arabia have agreed on a “broad path” for normalization between the kingdom and Israel, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 9 August.
Saudi Arabia allegedly agreed to a deal “in exchange for concessions to the Palestinians, US security guarantees, and civilian nuclear help.”
According to the WSJ, US officials said the details of such an agreement could be formulated over the next year, potentially resulting in the “most momentous” normalization agreement in years.
However, officials also warned that the project face “long odds.”
Following US President Joe Biden’s renewed push for a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the kingdom presented three main demands for an agreement: A US-sponsored nuclear program, a defense pact with the US that would compel Washington to defend it in case of attack, and the ability to purchase more advanced US weaponry.
The kingdom is also pushing for “significant concessions” from Israel that would result in the formation of a Palestinian state in exchange for Saudi Arabia putting limits on its growing relationship with China, reportedly including concessions on blocking the construction of Chinese military bases in the kingdom, limitations on using technology developed by China’s Huawei, and a pledge to continue using the US dollar and not the Chinese Yuan to price oil sales.
In response to the WSJ report, US National Security spokesman John Kirby on 9 August clarified that there is “no agreed-to set of negotiations, there’s no agreed-to framework to codify the normalization or any of the other security considerations that we and our friends have in the region.”
The report adds that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) is serious about a deal, despite providing “conflicting messages” to “different audiences.”
According to Saudi officials, he has told his aides that he is not prepared to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel as the UAE did with the Abraham Accords. The officials said that MbS is particularly uneasy of having to deal with Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government.
US officials have reportedly acknowledged that the majority of Netanyahu’s government opposes the idea of Palestinian sovereignty and will complicate efforts for a normalization deal between the kingdom and Israel.
According to Brian Katulis of the Middle East Institute (MEI), reaching a normalization deal “seems highly improbable in the short run.”
Additionally, Israel is asking for its own security pact with Washington as part of a Saudi normalization agreement, which would focus on deterring Iran.
“There’s a work plan to explore the elements of what this [deal] would be and test the boundaries of what’s possible,” a senior US official said.
Netanyahu reportedly brought up the idea of a US-Israeli security agreement during his last phone call with President Biden in July.