Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed ways to advance the normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
(Bloomberg) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed ways to advance the normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Israel established formal diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in 2020 under a US-brokered agreement, known as the Abraham Accords, and has sought to expand relations in the Arab world since then.
In talks with Sullivan on Thursday, Netanyahu “discussed the next steps to deepen the Abraham Accords and expand the circle of peace, with an emphasis on a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia,” the premier’s office said in a statement following the meeting.
Saudi Arabia has previously insisted that first there must be a resolution to the long-running conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Still, previously clandestine links between Saudi Arabia and Israel have become increasingly visible. Saudi Arabia agreed last summer to open its airspace to all airlines flying in and out of Israel. And in the fall, the chairman of Israeli lender Bank Leumi Le-Israel BM spoke at an investment conference in Riyadh.
Netanyahu, who was recently sworn in after just 18 months in opposition, is looking to expand Israel’s relations in the region in part to combat Iran. It’s an issue that came up in his talks with Sullivan, in which they “discussed joint efforts to stop the Iranian nuclear program and Iran’s actions in the region,” according to the statement.
Days ago, the Israeli prime minister already pledged to step up his efforts to derail a return to the Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu has long been among the original agreements most vocal opponents.
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