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From the Liveblog of Friday, November 24, 2023

One of reasons Hamas struck was US effort to broker Israel-Saudi normalization deal, Biden says

By Jacob Magid

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24 November 2023, 10:27 pm 1 Edit

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center), US President Joe Biden (roght) and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hold hands before the start of a session at the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023. (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / POOL / AFP)

US President Joe Biden again raises his claim that one of the reasons that Hamas carried out the October 7 onslaught was because his administration was “working very closely with the Saudis and others in the region to bring peace to the region by having recognition of Israel and Israel’s right to exist.”

He acknowledges that he “cannot prove” this assertion but asserts that it’s what he believes.

Biden points to the pre-October 7 announcement of a new rail and shipping corridor connecting Europe to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Israel.

“The whole idea has overwhelming interest,” he says, adding that he will continue advancing such initiatives “to change the dynamic in [the Middle East] for longer term peace.”