Senior White House officials arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, reportedly with directions from US President Joe Biden to explore the possibility of a normalization agreement between Riyadh and Jerusalem that would include significant Israeli concessions to the Palestinians aimed at keeping prospects for a two-state solution alive.
Biden has not yet made up his mind as to whether he will ultimately sign off on the maneuver, which would likely require a massive security pact between the US and Saudi Arabia. Biden pledged during the 2020 campaign to make the kingdom a “pariah” over its human rights record, but he has nonetheless ordered National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and White House Middle East czar Brett McGurk to discuss terms of a deal, The New York Times’s Tom Friedman wrote in a column, without citing sources.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed to The Times of Israel that Sullivan had arrived in Saudi Arabia, but did not say it was to discuss a potential Israel-Saudi normalization deal. The spokesperson said Sullivan would meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to “discuss bilateral and regional matters".
"That includes significant progress that’s been made in talks to build on the benefits of the truce in Yemen that have endured over the past 16 months, as well as initiatives to advance a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East region.”
