By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
RIYADH/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Saudi Arabia has softened its position on Palestinian statehood, telling Washington that “a public commitment” from Israel to a two-state solution “could be enough” for the Gulf kingdom to normalize relations with the Jewish nation, according to Saudi and Western officials.
In remarks Friday, the officials also announced that Riyadh abandoned its pursuit of an “ambitious defense treaty” with Washington and sought “a more modest military cooperation agreement” in return for regular ties with Israel.
According to Western diplomats familiar with his thinking, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views normalization with Saudi Arabia as a historical milestone and a sign of broader acceptance in the Arab world.
But he faces opposition at home to any concessions to Palestinians in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that killed some 1,200 people.
And with public anger in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East mounting over Israel’s strikes against Hamas in Gaza, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has again made recognition of Israel conditional on it taking concrete steps to create a Palestinian state.
Yet, with U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump soon becoming dealmaker-in-chief, Riyadh and Washington hope a more modest defense pact could be sealed before Joe Biden leaves the White House on January 20.
A full-blown U.S.-Saudi treaty would need to pass the U.S. Senate with a two-thirds majority, and this would be a non-starter unless Riyadh recognizes Israel, several sources said.
However, Trump has made it clear that he wants to extend the Abraham Accords, which already include agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain, on September 15, 2020.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
President Donald Trump has invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to accelerate the production of U.S. munitions, missiles, interceptors, and critical defense components as American stockpiles face mounting strain from the war with Iran and years of heavy weapons transfers to allies, including Ukraine and Israel.
Fulani herdsmen killed five Christians at a mining site in central Nigeria’s Plateau state, highlighting continuing attacks on Christian communities in Africa’s most populous nation, Christians say.
Hundreds of employees have reportedly been dismissed from media outlets aligned with former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, highlighting growing turmoil within the country’s right-wing media landscape following his election defeat and the subsequent loss of political influence.
Journalists jailed, attacked, or otherwise targeted across several countries marked fresh setbacks for press freedom this month, with media advocates highlighting cases ranging from Azerbaijan and Iran to Russia and Armenia.
A new Canadian parliamentary committee report recommends that people with mental illness should be “indefinitely excluded” from eligibility for assisted dying, a recommendation that could set a precedent for other liberal countries dealing with this issue.
President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war with Iran, U.S. officials said, launching a 60-day diplomatic test that could determine whether the Middle East moves toward a fragile ceasefire or back toward confrontation.
In a rare instance of congressional unity, the House and Senate reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement over legislation to boost housing supply and home ownership across the country.