A peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refers to as the “big prize,” will only be achieved if the Saudi kingdom receives help from the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Saudis will wait for Washington’s help in developing a civilian nuclear program and security guarantees before agreeing to normalize ties with the Jewish state, according to unnamed officials involved in the discussions.
In December, the local i24NEWS published an article naming two additional conditions from the Saudis. The first demand was an affirmation of the U.S.-Saudi alliance. The second is a commitment from Washington to supply weapons to the kingdom.
If such an agreement materializes, it would be the fifth signed Abraham Accords agreement between the Jewish state and an Arab gulf nation. However, according to the WSJ, the Saudi demands pose serious “obstacles.”
“Some Washington lawmakers will likely oppose those measures,” the report stated.
Stopping the Iranian nuclear threat and signing a historic peace deal with Saudi Arabia are the two main diplomatic goals that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to deliver, if re-elected. These also became a priority for the Biden administration.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides told ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel C. Rosenberg that the Biden administration will “work tirelessly with the Israelis and the Saudis.”
Last month, Bloomberg reported that Israel and Saudi Arabia held discussions to increase their military and intelligence cooperation over shared concerns about Iran’s aggression in the region.
This article originally appeared on ALL ISRAEL NEWS and is reposted with permission.
Tal Heinrich is a senior correspondent for both ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS. She is currently based in New York City. Tal also provides reports and analysis for Israeli Hebrew media Channel 14 News.
