Riyadh’s insistence on normalizing relations with Tel Aviv

According to Isna, US President Donald Trump has expressed hope several times recently about the possibility of an agreement with Saudi Arabia in the field of normalizing relations with the Zionist regime, but according to the statements of informed sources from the Persian Gulf countries, with Riyadh’s insistence on its main condition in this regard – the formation of an independent Palestinian state – it seems that this will not happen during the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House this month.

As bin Salman’s visit to the White House approaches on November 18, Reuters News agency wrote in a report about it: The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia after decades of hostility can transform the political and security landscape of the Middle East and potentially strengthen American influence in the region.

Trump said last month that he hopes Saudi Arabia will “soon” join other Muslim countries that began normal relations with the Zionist regime in 2020 with the signing of the Ibrahim Pact.

But two well-informed sources in the Persian Gulf states told Reuters that Riyadh has sent a message to Washington through diplomatic channels that its position has not changed and that it will sign the agreement only if an agreement is reached on a road map for the formation of a Palestinian state.

According to these sources, the purpose of this position is to prevent diplomatic mistakes and to ensure the alignment of the positions of Saudi Arabia and the United States before any public announcement.

One of the sources said that Riyadh’s aim with this position is to avoid any misunderstanding during the White House talks on or after November 18.

Jonathan Panikoff, the former US Deputy National Intelligence Officer for West Asian affairs, said: “Mohammed bin Salman is unlikely to consider any formal normalization of relations in the near future without at least a credible path to the formation of a Palestinian state.”

He, who is now a member of the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, said: “Bin Salman will probably try to use the influence he has on Trump to seek more explicit support for the formation of an independent Palestinian state.”

Saudi Arabia examines any normalization of relations with the Zionist regime in a new framework, not under the Ibrahim Pact

Reuters further wrote: The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco have already normalized their relations with Israel by signing the Ibrahim Pact, and Trump has said that he expects to see the expansion of this pact soon.

He said during the last week without giving a specific time frame: “Now many people are joining the Ibrahim Pact and we hope to join Saudi Arabia soon.”

In an interview, Trump said: I hope Saudi Arabia will join and I hope others will join it as well. I think when Saudi Arabia comes, everyone will come.

However, in the agreement signed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, the issue of forming a Palestinian state is not discussed.

The two sources said that Riyadh has sent a message to Washington that any move to recognize the Israeli regime must be part of a new framework, not just an extension of any existing agreement.

According to Reuters, “for Saudi Arabia, which is the origin of Islam and the custodian of its two holy places – Mecca and Medina – the recognition of Israel is more than just a diplomatic milestone. “This is a deeply sensitive national security issue that is tied to the resolution of one of the oldest and most complex conflicts in the region.”

In the continuation of this article, this action will be difficult in a situation where the Arab nations are still worried because of the large scale of Israel’s military invasion of Gaza during the war against the militant group Hamas.

“Manal Rizwan”, the official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, has called for the clear and timed withdrawal of the Zionist regime from the Gaza Strip, the establishment of an international protection force and the empowerment and return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.

According to him, “these actions are necessary for the establishment of a Palestinian state as a prerequisite for regional integration and the implementation of the “2-state” solution.”

The aforementioned sources told Reuters: Saudi Arabia does not see any imminent prospect of fulfilling Trump’s request to normalize relations with Israel due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s firm opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Saudi officials also say that progress in this field depends on concessions that neither Washington nor the Zionist regime is willing to provide.

Prospects and benefits of a limited defense agreement with the United States

The British media wrote: Saudi officials intend to push the meeting between Trump and bin Salman towards defense and investment cooperation and are worried that the political issue of normalizing relations with Israel could overshadow this agenda.

This meeting is expected to lead to the signing of an important defense agreement that will define the scope of US military support for the world’s largest oil exporter and stabilize US military presence in the Persian Gulf.

Two other sources in the Persian Gulf countries and three Western diplomats said that the defense agreement is more limited than the long-promised comprehensive agreement approved by Congress and which Riyadh once sought in exchange for normalizing relations with the Zionist regime.

Under this agreement, which is modeled after an agreement with Qatar in September, cooperation will be expanded and will include the field of defense and advanced technologies.

According to the two Gulf sources, “Riyadh pushed for the inclusion of a provision that would allow future US administrations to upgrade the pact to a full treaty—something that would ensure the continued existence of a non-binding treaty vulnerable to actions by future presidents to abrogate it.”

Informed sources in the Persian Gulf and Western diplomats said: “The connection between the defense pact, the normalization of relations with Israel and the creation of a Palestinian state has created a complex negotiation equation that forces Riyadh and Washington to settle for a limited defense agreement despite the lack of progress on the other two tracks.”

According to them, this compromise can eventually become a full treaty if progress is made on the issue of normalizing relations.

In the final part of this article, citing two informed sources in the Persian Gulf countries, such an agreement will probably be accompanied by conditions, including restrictions on Saudi Arabia’s expanding economic and technological relations with China, which will complicate Saudi Arabia’s motivation to balance strategic independence with American security guarantees.

The sources said the current pact would expand joint military exercises, deepen cooperation between US and Saudi defense companies and include restrictions on Riyadh’s defense industry ties with China.

The agreement also accelerates the sale of advanced American weapons to Saudi Arabia and bypasses the delays and political obstacles that have stalled previous agreements.

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