Saudi Arabia
Biden: ‘We’ve rebuilt ties with Palestinians, restored some $500 million in aid to PA’
In a “Washington Post” article, the U.S. president calls his upcoming flight from Israel to Saudi Arabia a symbol of “budding relations” and reiterates his commitment to reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
“The region is characterized by acute tensions between Iran and its proxies on one hand, and major regional actors on the other. There are numerous conflicts in the region along sectarian and tribal, ethnic, national lines,” said a senior Israel official.
Israeli officials are also asking for expanded over-fly permission for their airlines on routes to Asia.
Senior Israel Hayom journalist Yoav Limor visits Saudi Arabia.
Report: Flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia on the table
Talks are ongoing that would allow Israeli Arabs to fly directly to Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj religious pilgrimage, according to a report published Monday.
“If you had told me a year ago that would be the first place I would go, obviously, you’re dreaming,” said Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism Deborah Lipstadt.
Oil prices have sped up MBS’s return to the world stage, said Mideast professor Joshua Teitelbaum. “While the United States may no longer be dependent on the Saudis for oil, it is still dependent on the Saudis for the price of oil.”
The main topics are likely to be Iran, a Middle East security alliance, the future of the Palestinian Authority, the Russia-Ukraine-Syria triangle and the “I2U2” coalition, experts tell JNS.
Discussions focused on trade, investment, security and a regional summit in July with U.S. President Joe Biden.
“This is not a breakthrough, but another stage in the tightening relationship between the two countries,” said Michal Yaari, an expert on the Arab Gulf states.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said that rather than a confirmation hearing, the Democratic majority convened a hearing on the “profound anti-Israel bias of the Biden administration.”
The U.S. president will also travel to the Palestinian Authority and Saudia Arabia, where he will attend a summit alongside nine regional leaders.
