From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 20, 2024
National Unity minister says party opposes establishing Palestinian state as part of Saudi normalization deal
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
National Unity party minister Chili Tropper rejects establishing a Palestinian state in exchange for normalization with Saudi Arabia, telling Army Radio that “we are against” such a move.
On Saturday evening, Gantz issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, threatening to withdraw from the coalition unless the premier commits to an agreed-upon vision for the Gaza conflict by June 8.
Among his demands was that Netanyahu “advance normalization with Saudi Arabia as part of a comprehensive process to create an alliance with the free world and the West against Iran and its allies.”
During a meeting with Netanyahu on Sunday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that an opportunity is currently available for Israel to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia if Jerusalem agrees to a pathway to a future Palestinian state.
