Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called on Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalize relations by the end of this year, highlighting the importance of reaching a deal under President Biden’s administration.
“KAN” reports this.
He noted that the future US administration may not have enough political support to promote such an agreement. Biden is seeking a normalization deal that would include security guarantees for Saudi Arabia from the United States, as well as a series of agreements between Washington and Riyadh. An important element of this agreement is the recognition of the State of Israel by Saudi Arabia.
At a news conference in Jerusalem, Graham expressed confidence that the US Senate could ratify the agreement to defend Saudi Arabia, comparing it to existing treaties between the United States and Japan or Australia, if this happens before the end of Saudi Arabia’s presidency. Biden.
However, the normalization of relations is complicated by the position of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who stated that the kingdom is not willing to recognize Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state. This position makes it difficult to reach an agreement in the near future.
Earlier in February, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia was willing to conclude a security treaty with the United States if Israel made a political commitment to creating a Palestinian state. The Biden administration has offered Riyadh security guarantees, assistance in developing a civilian nuclear program and additional efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue to accelerate the normalization process. However, the recent conflict in Gaza has added uncertainty to the negotiations.
Lindsey Graham, along with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who also called for a deal, noted the importance of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Graham stressed that Arab-Israeli reconciliation poses a threat to Iran that could be greater than any weapon.
The senators also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant and discussed the current situation with the families of the hostages. Both politicians expressed the view that for lasting peace in the region it is necessary to continue dialogue with the Palestinians, even despite the difficulties in achieving the two-state solution.
Previously, Cursor reported that US Senator Graham denounced Israel’s mistakes in the hostage negotiations.
US Senator Graham described how Israel can force Hamas to sign a hostage agreement.
