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
A group of radical Hindu nationalists violently attacked a small Christian congregation in Maharashtra, India, on February 10, leaving a pastor seriously injured and forcing believers to flee their village.
U.S. officials are raising concerns about the potential presence of Iranian “sleeper cells” inside the United States, as tensions escalate following recent American and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Federal investigators say a man who carried out a violent vehicle-ramming attack at a Michigan synagogue earlier this month was driven by extremist propaganda linked to Hezbollah, underscoring growing concerns about foreign terror influence reaching U.S. soil.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran’s Arak heavy water production plant was destroyed following a targeted strike attributed to the Israel Defense Forces, marking a significant escalation in efforts to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Thousands of troops from the 82nd Airborne Division have begun arriving in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials, as President Donald Trump considers expanded military options in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a stark ultimatum Monday, warning Iran that failure to reach a ceasefire agreement in the coming days would trigger a sweeping and devastating assault on the country’s critical infrastructure.
The Knesset approved a controversial law Monday mandating the death penalty for certain terrorist acts, marking a historic shift in Israel’s judicial approach to terrorism.