Daily Briefing Nov. 19: Day 775 – MBS meeting with Trump elevates Saudi Arabia’s ally status
US bureau chief Jacob Magid discusses Saudi crown prince's White House visit, the UN Security Council vote on Gaza, and his interview with Marwan Barghouti's wife, a first for Israeli media
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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.
During the White House visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, US President Donald Trump elevated the status of Saudi Arabia, according to Magid, along with agreeing several defense guarantees and the sale of weapons.
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Israel had hoped those moves would be conditioned upon the Saudis normalizing relations with the Jewish state, but went along with the announcement, says Magid.
He also explains that this week’s UN Security Council vote on Trump’s broad Gaza peace plan gives the president’s proposed Board of Peace the mandate to redevelop Gaza over the next two years, as well as endorsing a vague pathway toward a Palestinian state.
The vote approved the establishment of an International Stabilization Force and endorsed the demilitarization of Gaza, although it will be a tougher sell to get countries to contribute armed forces, says Magid, who calls the vote both an internationalization of the conflict and a victory for the Trump administration.
Fadwa Barghouti, the wife of prominent Palestinian security prisoner Marwan Barghouti, speaks with Magid for her first Israeli media interview, as part of her push for her husband’s release from Israeli jail, where he is serving multiple life sentences over deadly attacks during the Second Intifada.
Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
MBS tells Trump he wants to join Abraham Accords, but path to Palestinian state crucial
Trump says Saudis will get F-35s, bucking Israeli hope he’d condition sale on peace
IDF opposes Saudi F-35 deal, warns Israel’s regional air superiority could be eroded
UN Security Council endorses Trump broad Gaza peace plan, foreign stabilization force
Buoyed by Trump, Marwan Barghouti’s wife presses Israel to free terror convict for peace
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