GOP senator says he believes Israel-Saudi deal possible before end of the year

MELVINDALE, Michigan — US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and believes that an agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia can be reached before the end of the year.

Graham, who is in Michigan campaigning for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, tells Reuters that Netanyahu supports work on a deal with Saudi Arabia, adding that the next US administration is unlikely to be able to secure enough votes in Congress after President Joe Biden leaves office on January 20.

“I think the time to do this is on Biden’s watch,” says Graham, who had also met with Netanyahu earlier this month. He says Vice President Kamala Harris is “far more beholden to the left” and hasn’t shown interest in working for such an agreement, but Biden is keen to see a deal get done and will be able to mobilize the needed Democratic votes.

Morgan Finkelstein, National Security Spokeswoman for the Harris campaign says: “Vice President Harris has consistently supported efforts to ensure Israel is more deeply integrated in the Middle East region, including a potential historic normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia. She believes such integration is critical to counter the threats posed by Iran.”

Democrats would be reluctant to support Trump if he won the election and the initiative slipped into next year, Graham says.