A groundbreaking US-Saudi deal is nearing completion, but its success hinges on Israel’s willingness to meet certain conditions, according to a new op-ed by Thomas Friedman in The New York Times.
The deal requires Israel to “get out of Gaza, freeze the building of settlements in the West Bank, and embark on a three- to five-year ‘pathway’ to establish a Palestinian state in the occupied territories,” Friedman writes. In return, Saudi Arabia would normalize diplomatic ties with Israel.
However, the establishment of a Palestinian state is also contingent upon the Palestinian Authority implementing reforms to become a trusted and effective governing body.
The current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is unlikely to agree to these terms. As a result, the deal may be finalized “with the stated proviso that Saudi Arabia will normalize relations with Israel the minute Israel has a government ready to meet the Saudi-US terms.”
If successful, the deal would not only bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together but also provide Saudi Arabia with security assurances from Washington, further distancing it from US rivals.
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2 Responses
Unless the agreement also specifies preserving Israeli settlements in the West Bank (which includes the entire city of Jerusalem), it sounds more like surrender terms. Does it even specify that the Palestinians will end military activities against Israel (i.e. will the next terrorist attack be considered the start of a new war, or will they be allowed with impunity).
Thomas Friedman is apparently doing his usual anti-Semitic, anti-Israel spin and adding conditions that he and the anti-American, anti-Israel, extreme left wing that is running the U.S. Administration would like to impose.
A deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia probably needs to await the return of the Trump Administration in order to be attained.