Crown Prince confirms Saudi Arabia inching towards normalizing ties with Israel

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has expressed optimism about normalizing ties with Israel and stated that progress is being made in US-brokered talks on the Palestinian issue. In a rare interview with Fox News, he emphasized that the Palestinian question remains significant but acknowledged that negotiations have been effective so far. It has been reported that Israeli and US officials are working on a plan that could lead to Saudi Arabia openly enriching uranium, raising concerns about the potential for nuclear weapons development. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly responded to this development. Bin Salman's interview followed a meeting between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, where they discussed the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration hopes to secure ratification of this agreement in Congress, showcasing a foreign policy achievement ahead of the US presidential election. However, Saudi Arabia, like other Arab nations, has hesitated to recognize Israel due to its solidarity with the Palestinians. The US has been attempting to facilitate a breakthrough since last year, following the Abraham Accords mediated by the Trump administration, which led to Israel normalizing relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In exchange for recognizing Israel, Saudi Arabia is seeking significant military support from the US, cooperation in its civilian nuclear program, and Israeli concessions to the Palestinians. This last demand poses challenges under Israel's current government, which is religious and nationalist. Bin Salman emphasized the importance of resolving the Palestinian issue, and negotiations are ongoing with the involvement of Palestinian officials. However, it remains uncertain how Saudi Arabia would cooperate with Netanyahu's government, which includes members who oppose the two-state solution. Furthermore, a report in The Wall Street Journal about the possibility of Saudi Arabia enriching uranium has raised concerns among Israeli politicians. Bin Salman expressed his concerns about any country obtaining nuclear weapons and stated that if Iran were to acquire such weapons, Saudi Arabia would feel compelled to do the same for security reasons.