Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is confident that Israel will reach a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, but key ties will continue to develop even if there is no formal peace agreement.
Speaking to Bloomberg News, Netanyahu says that there is “an economic corridor of energy transportation and communication that naturally goes through our geography from Asia through the Arabian Peninsula to Europe. We are going to realize that.”
“And my sense is that we are going to realize that whether we have formal peace or not,” says Netanyahu, calling the moment “a pivot of history.”
Netanyahu declines to say what concessions he would make on the Palestinian issue to achieve a deal with the Saudis, but suggests that it is no longer a key issue, rather calling it “a checkbox.”
“Is that what is being said in corridors, is that what is being said in discreet negotiations — the answer is a lot less than you think,” he says.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 7, 2023
