President Biden’s envoys are continuing their efforts to reshape Middle East politics by brokering diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, despite the significant concessions demanded by the Saudi monarchy.
Recently, Mr. Biden sent Jake Sullivan, his national security adviser, back to Saudi Arabia for the second time in less than three months. This visit indicates that the Biden administration sees potential for an agreement that would bring together two historic adversaries and fundamentally transform the region.
Although no breakthrough has been announced, the fact that Mr. Sullivan returned to the kingdom so soon after his last trip suggests that progress is being made. One of the obstacles has been Saudi Arabia’s insistence on a mutual security pact with the United States and the development of a civilian nuclear program that would allow the country to enrich its own uranium. Both of these demands have been nonstarters in the past.
A White House statement summarizing the meeting provided little indication of the progress made during the visit. The statement mentioned that Mr. Sullivan traveled to Jeddah to discuss bilateral and regional matters, including initiatives to advance a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East region interconnected with the world.
However, U.S. officials who were present in Jeddah on Thursday privately reported that the engagements went well and expressed cautious optimism about the potential for progress as diplomats continue their discussions.
In addition to brokering relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Biden administration has also aimed to distance Saudi Arabia from its collaboration with Russia on energy prices, in order to increase pressure on Moscow amid its conflict in Ukraine.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Saudi leaders will host peace talks on August 5 and 6, involving representatives from Ukraine and several other countries, including India and Brazil. These countries, like Saudi Arabia, have not joined Western efforts to isolate Russia over its invasion. Russia, which has refused to negotiate, will not be included in the meeting. The Journal reported that Mr. Sullivan is expected to participate, but the National Security Council did not comment on this.
The Saudi plan to host such a meeting highlights a complex web of dynamics, some of which clash with one another. The United States aims to enlist Riyadh against Russia, prevent it from growing closer to China, bring it together with Israel, coordinate with it against Iran, persuade it to end the war in Yemen, and prevent a rise in gasoline prices in an election year.
In a recent conversation with Thomas L. Friedman, a columnist for The New York Times, Mr. Biden described a potential Saudi-Israeli deal with multiple moving parts. Any of these parts could easily derail the negotiation, but if realized, they would have far-reaching implications.
Saudi Arabia’s demands for normalization with Israel have been extensive. Among…
2023-07-29 18:50:28
Article from www.nytimes.com
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