Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, participated in the inaugural MEAD conference in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, addressing an audience that included Israeli officials.
The engagement, alongside statements from Knesset member Benny Gantz, suggests that efforts toward regional normalization may still be on the table, despite the ongoing conflicts against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Al Saud joined a panel discussion on Sunday night with her Moroccan and Bahraini counterparts. The audience included numerous Israelis, among them official representatives, as well as high-ranking U.S. officials.
Gantz, leader of Israel’s National Unity Party and a former War Cabinet member, addressed the normalization issue in his own interview on Sunday.
“I hope we can develop regional partnerships, partly through events like MEAD. Expanding our relationship with Saudi Arabia, a key Arab nation, could yield mutual benefits in security, economy, science and other areas,” said Gantz.
An Israeli source recently suggested that following the U.S. presidential election in November, a new opportunity might emerge for a three-way agreement involving the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The conference, spearheaded by former U.S. ambassadors to Israel David Friedman and Tom Nides, serves as a forum to facilitate discussions between American and Middle Eastern leaders, including those from moderate Arab states and Israel.
