Saudi Arabia is pushing the US to sign a limited defense pact with Riyadh instead of the wide-ranging deal that includes normalization with Israel that is currently on the table, the UK’s Guardian newspaper reports.
The unsourced report says the Saudis fear that the mega normalization deal that includes Washington giving Riyadh agreements on bilateral defense and security commitments, as well as nuclear cooperation, could be held up indefinitely amid fears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won’t agree to a pathway to a Palestinian state, a key component of the agreement.
The Saudis also fear that the deal could become impossible to implement so long as Israel’s war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza continues.
The Saudi Plan B would include a bilateral defense pact, US help in the building of a Saudi civil nuclear energy industry, and high-level sharing in the field of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, the Guardian says, adding that Israel ties would be left to a later date.
The article notes that it is not clear if the US, particularly Congress, would support such a deal that excludes normalization with Israel.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
