From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 31, 2023
Report: Mossad chief visited White House to discuss Saudi normalization
Mossad chief David Barnea reportedly visited the White House earlier this month for “secret” talks about the potential of a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
According to a report in Axios that cites two US sources, Barnea met in the White House with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan as well as Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East, and Amos Hochstein, Biden’s senior adviser on energy and infrastructure.
Sullivan and McGurk both traveled to Saudi Arabia in the period following their purported meetings with Barnea.
Barnea also reportedly met during his trip with CIA director Bill Burns.
On Friday US President Joe Biden hinted at potential progress in the long-sought-after deal, after months of US officials playing down the possibility, saying: “There’s a rapprochement maybe under way.”
The Times of Israel Community.