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 previously unknown terrorist organization with suspected links to Iran has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Jewish targets across Europe, raising alarms among security officials and Jewish communities.
President Donald Trump launched an anti-fraud task force on Monday, and appointed Vice President JD Vance to lead it.
The Israeli military has launched a targeted ground operation in southern Lebanon aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure and strengthening security for communities in northern Israel.
A growing divide is emerging across the United States as Republican-led states move to slash or eliminate personal income taxes while Democratic-led states push to raise taxes on high earners.
Russia is expanding tests of a nationwide system designed to shut down internet access during times of unrest, leaving millions in Moscow temporarily cut off from mobile data and online services, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Pakistani police have launched a murder investigation after a young Christian man was brutally killed in the eastern city of Lahore, shocking members of the country’s small Christian community, investigators told Worthy News.
Israel’s military campaign against Iran, conducted in coordination with the United States, is progressing faster than originally planned, according to Israeli defense officials.