Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his confidence in the possibility of a groundbreaking US-mediated agreement to establish formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The Israeli Prime Minister conveyed this optimism during talks with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Notably, this meeting marked the first encounter between the two leaders since Netanyahu’s return to power.
The Biden administration has been actively advocating for the establishment of official ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, both key US allies in the Middle East. Netanyahu, addressing President Biden, remarked, “I think that under your leadership, Mr. President, we can forge a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia.” He went on to highlight the potential of such a peace agreement to contribute significantly to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, fostering reconciliation between the Islamic world and the Jewish state, and advancing genuine peace between Israel and the Palestinians, emphasizing that this goal is attainable.
Netanyahu also commended a recently announced initiative aimed at creating an economic corridor spanning from India to Europe, including rail connections passing through Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. He described this initiative as a substantial development.
Only a few Arab states have officially recognized Israel since its establishment in 1948. However, during the Trump administration in 2020, significant progress was made in securing agreements to establish diplomatic relations between Israel and countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, known as the Abraham Accords. Sudan also joined these normalization agreements.
