Saudi Arabia is reportedly delaying the signing of a potential normalization agreement with Israel until after the U.S. presidential election in November, as per Ynet reports citing Israeli and American officials. The Saudis are also awaiting a ceasefire in Gaza before committing to join the Abraham Accords.
According to sources, senior White House officials have expressed optimism in recent months about a historic agreement between the two nations. A June report by The Wall Street Journal detailed efforts led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to broker a significant security pact between Washington and Riyadh, which could include normalizing relations with Israel and potentially establish Saudi Arabia as the only Arab state with a formal U.S. defense treaty.
However, Ynet's report clarifies that the Biden administration has stipulated that any potential Saudi-Israeli deal will not proceed until after the U.S. elections and a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza.
Ynet quoted sources stating, "The government explained that Riyadh cannot justify normalizing relations with Israel to the Arab world while a war is ongoing in the Gaza Strip."
Israel has been engaged in conflict with Hamas in Gaza since its brutal October 7 attack. Although negotiations for a ceasefire are underway, a senior Hamas official announced the group's withdrawal from talks, citing Israel's perceived lack of seriousness and ongoing military actions against civilians.
A key sticking point in the potential Saudi-Israeli agreement is the issue of Palestinian statehood. Saudi Arabia has expressed a desire for guarantees of progress towards Palestinian statehood, while Israel maintains strong opposition, citing security concerns and the potential for a Palestinian state to align with hostile entities such as Iran.
In June, Prime Minister Netanyahu highlighted shared security concerns with Saudi Arabia. In a meeting with retired U.S. generals (which was later released by his office), he stated, "The axis doesn’t threaten only us. It threatens you. It's on the march to conquer the Middle East. Conquer the Middle East. Conquer. That means actually conquer. Conquer Saudi Arabia, conquer the Arabian Peninsula."
* Ynet and The Jewish Chronicle contributed to this article.
