US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a press conference alongsideGerman counterpart Annalena Baerbock, expressed on Friday that the prospectof normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, while potentiallytransformative, remains a formidable challenge.
Blinken articulated that achieving normalization between these two nationswould indeed mark a watershed moment not only for the Middle East but forthe broader international community. He underscored the region’s prolongedhistory of more than four decades marred by turmoil and instability.
Blinken contended that transitioning from a region characterized by unrestto one characterized by increased stability and integration could yieldprofound advantages for the people of the Middle East and have far-reachingglobal ramifications. He acknowledged, however, that brokering an agreementbetween these nations would necessitate a substantial Palestinian component.
The intricacies of any potential agreement, as well as the divergentexpectations of the involved parties, present formidable hurdles in thepath to normalization.
While Blinken maintained that normalization is conceivable, he cautionedagainst assuming its inevitability. He emphasized the belief that thebenefits stemming from such an achievement, if realized, would undoubtedlyoutweigh the challenges encountered during the process.
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It’s worth noting that Saudi Arabia currently lacks diplomatic relationswith Israel and remains firm in its stance against normalization until theIsraeli occupation of Palestinian territories, ongoing for decades, isbrought to an end.
To date, six Arab countries have established diplomatic ties with Israel.The trajectory began with Egypt in 1979 and continued with Jordan in 1994.The most recent developments in this regard occurred in September 2020 whenthe United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain formalized their relations withTel Aviv. Subsequently, Sudan and Morocco followed suit later in the sameyear. These diplomatic shifts have played a pivotal role in reshaping thegeopolitical landscape of the Middle East
