From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 2, 2023
US, Saudis discuss efforts toward ‘sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians’
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman discussed the “shared priority” of “working toward a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians” during their meeting yesterday in Washington, a US readout says.
Blinken during the meeting “affirmed the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza, preventing further spread of the conflict, and reinforcing regional stability and security, including in Yemen,” the State Department says.
“Blinken underscored the US commitment to support the defense of US partners against threats from state and non-state actors and reaffirmed the enduring value of the US-Saudi strategic partnership,” the readout adds.
Unlike several other US readouts from recent meetings with Saudi officials, no mention is made of “building on” the Israel normalization talks that had been intensifying before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
