Israel said to okay US-Egypt-Saudi island deal, paving way for breakthrough with Riyadh

Israel has reportedly given final approval to an outline that could pave the way for significant progress on Israeli-Saudi normalization during US President Joe Biden’s weekend visit to the Gulf kingdom.

According to Walla, citing two unnamed senior Israeli officials, Jerusalem has given a green light for Washington to move forward on a deal transferring two strategic islands from Egypt to Saudi Arabia.

A US official declines to provide an update, saying they will do so when there is something to announce.

Washington is in the midst of brokering talks to transfer a pair of Red Sea islands from Egypt to Saudi Arabia in a deal that would see Riyadh take small steps toward formal diplomatic ties with Jerusalem, a Middle East diplomat told The Times of Israel last week.

Israel handed over control of the islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Egypt as part of their 1979 peace agreement, but the sides agreed to demilitarize the islands and to allow the presence of a multinational observer force. Israel is now seeking similar assurances from Saudi Arabia in order to sign off on the deal, but Riyadh has been hesitant to put the commitment in writing, the Middle East diplomat said.

If inked, the agreement would see Saudi Arabia allow Israeli flights to the Far East to use its airspace in addition to rolling out direct flights between the two countries for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca and Medina, the diplomat said.

The White House hopes to finalize the agreement in time for Biden’s arrival in Jeddah tomorrow. On Tuesday, the diplomat put the likelihood of that happening at 50%.