On Sunday Blinken met with MBS to discuss the war calling their talks ‘very productive’
Saudi Arabia has signaled a shift in its diplomatic focus from talks with Israel to talks with Iran following last week’s Hamas terror attack. However, according to an expert who spoke to US Newzs Digital, the possibility of a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel has not been completely ruled out.
Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, explained that Saudi-Israeli relations have been quietly developing for some time, perhaps months or years, just beneath the surface.
He emphasized that this relationship will continue whether or not full normalization takes place. Schanzer notes that normalization is a gradual process, not an instantaneous event, but rather develops discreetly “below the radar” regardless of current circumstances.
The recent conflict with Hamas has resulted in significant loss of life, killing at least 1,300 Israeli civilians and soldiers, as well as more than 3,200, including 27 Americans. Palestinian health officials reported that 2,215 Palestinians were killed and more than 8,700 injured during the same period.
According to some experts, the recent attack is believed to be in response to reports including an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by Brett Baier, Fox News’ chief political anchor, and “Special Report with Brett Baier’s anchor/executive editor.” Saudi Arabia and Israel are close to an agreement on normal relations. These reports indicate that
Such a deal would have been a significant victory for the parties involved, but a setback for Iran, a longtime supporter of Hamas terrorism in Gaza.
However, the crown prince has already held talks with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi in an attempt to prevent further violence in the region, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.
A source said that talks cannot continue for now and when they resume, Saudi Arabia will have to prioritize concessions for the Palestinian people.
A phone call by President Ibrahim Raisi to the Saudi crown prince was aimed at expressing support for “Palestine” and preventing an escalation of conflict in the region, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. The official described the call as “good and hopeful”.
A second Iranian official said the call lasted 45 minutes and was approved by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Saudi Arabia’s initial response to news of the attack in Israel appeared to be to blame Israel for the conflict. The Foreign Ministry’s statement referred to past “cautions” regarding Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people and expressed that it was closely monitoring ongoing developments.
The statement called for renewed efforts to achieve a two-state solution, but referred to the Israeli army as “occupation forces”.
The statement released by Saudi Arabia drew criticism from American officials. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina revealed that he informed a senior Saudi official on Saturday that such a statement was not conducive to normalizing relations with the United States. He expressed concern that Saudi Arabia should not ally itself with Iran and Hezbollah.
Ian Bremmer, president and founder of the geopolitical consulting firm Eurasia Group, suggested that the Israeli-Saudi Arabia deal was rendered unappealing by the Saudi announcement, making diplomacy between the two countries nearly impossible.
However, Dr. Jonathan Schanzer takes a different view, arguing that the ties that both Israel and Saudi Arabia have with the United States help maintain balance and pave the way for a potential normalization agreement.
Dr. Jonathan Schanzer explains that it is common for countries without full diplomatic relations to initially establish communication through intelligence agencies and covert channels. He believes that this secret channel exists and is unlikely to change in the near future.
Currently, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a whirlwind tour of key regional players including Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. During his visit to Riyadh, he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, describing the talks as “very productive”.
Throughout his talks, Blinken constantly emphasized the need to end the conflict and protect the lives of civilians caught in the crossfire between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Schanzer raised the question of when the talks would resume, whether it would be in the context of the ongoing crisis or in a different context.
Schanzer expressed concern that the Saudis might question whether Israel is as strong a country as they first believed when considering their alliance. He noted that Israel needs to be very careful about public perception of its actions in the Gaza Strip because the Saudi people cannot tolerate witnessing the bloodshed, suffering, and destruction in Gaza.
Schanzer emphasized that the Saudi people still have strong sympathies for the Palestinian people, even if their direct support for the establishment of a Palestinian state has waned somewhat.