In Jerusalem, US Senator Graham urges Israel-Saudi normalization before year’s end

Prominent US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urges Saudi Arabia and Israel to establish diplomatic ties by the end of the year, warning that the next US administration is unlikely to be able to secure enough votes to support the deal.

The Biden administration is seeking to broker a normalization accord between the two countries that would include US security guarantees for Gulf state Saudi Arabia, among other bilateral deals between Washington and Riyadh.

“We can get you a treaty through the Senate between the United States and Saudi Arabia, a defense agreement like you have in Japan and Australia, if you do it on President Biden’s watch,” Graham, who is seen as close to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, tells reporters in Jerusalem.

In a September 18 speech, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom would not recognize Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state, suggesting a deal may be near impossible for the foreseeable future. That was a shift from February when three sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia was willing to accept a simple political commitment from Israel to create a Palestinian state, even without anything more binding, in a bid to get a defense pact with Washington approved before the US presidential election.

To encourage Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel, the Biden administration has offered Riyadh security guarantees, assistance with a civilian nuclear program, and a renewed push for a Palestinian state, but the Gaza conflict has thrown the talks into uncertainty.