TFIGLOBAL
Blinken briefs Bibi on talks with MBS about possible Israel-Saudi normalization
Secretary of State Tony Blinken called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and briefed him on his talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), including the possibility of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, according to a source familiar with the call.
Why it matters: The Biden administration wants to try and make a diplomatic push for a Saudi-Israeli peace deal in the next six to seven months before the presidential election campaign consumes President Biden’s agenda, as Axios reported two weeks ago.
- Netanyahu wants to work with the Biden administration on trying to reach a peace agreement with the kingdom — an issue he has said publicly is a top priority for him.
Driving the news: Blinken met MBS on Tuesday night for more than two hours. A senior U.S. official said possible Israel-Saudi normalization was one of the issues discussed in the meeting.
- Blinken called Netanyahu on Thursday when he was en route back to Washington from Riyadh. “Blinken briefed Netanyahu about the meeting with MBS and they talked about the path forward,” a source familiar with the call said.
What they’re saying: At a press conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud on Thursday, Blinken said the U.S. “will continue to play an integral role in deepening and expanding normalization” between Israel and the Arab world.
- Blinken said Saudi-Israeli normalization is a priority for the Biden administration “and we will continue to work at it, to advance it in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”
- The Saudi foreign minister said the kingdom believes that normalization is in the interest of the region and would bring significant benefits to all.
- “But without finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people, without addressing that challenge, any normalization will have limited benefits,” he said.
- The Saudi foreign minister added there is a need to find “a pathway towards a two-state solution” and a “pathway towards giving the Palestinians dignity and justice.”
Between the lines: The use of the term “pathway” by the Saudi foreign minister was a slight change from the position the Saudis expressed in the past when they demanded the establishment of a Palestinian state as a condition for normalization with Israel.
The big picture: The Israeli readout of the call between Blinken and Netanyahu didn’t mention Saudi Arabia, but focused on Israel’s concerns regarding a possible “freeze for freeze” agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
- “The Prime Minister stressed his position that a return to the 2015 nuclear deal will not stop Iran’s nuclear program and that Israel will not be bound by any arrangement with Iran and will do everything to protect itself,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken and Netanyahu “discussed areas of mutual interest, including expanding and deepening Israel’s integration into the Middle East through normalization with countries in the region.”
- Blinken “also discussed broader regional challenges, such as the threat posed by Iran, and underscored the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our 75-year-old partnership,” Miller said.
Go deeper
Trump post-indictment video uses Matt Damon’s voice from “Air”
Former President Trump rolled out a new video on Truth Social on Saturday, in the wake of being indicted for 37 felony counts related to retaining classified information and obstruction of justice in a federal classified documents probe.
Driving the news: The two-minute video uses actor Matt Damon’s monologue from “Air” as narration.
- Ben Affleck’s biographical sports drama “Air” tells the story of Nike’s rise to sneaker dominance.
Of note: Trump’s post also includes a link to donate money.
What they’re saying: “No matter how viciously they attack me, I will NEVER, EVER SURRENDER,” Trump said.
- “With your support, we will once again surge even higher and prove that our America First movement truly is UNSTOPPABLE,” he added.
Go Deeper:
Hi, Pdale.
The car is insured by the “full faith and credit” of America — namely, MAGA, which pays all the bills, and our grandchildren.
Hi, EvRe1.
This is what it’s about:
https://media.gettr.com/group3/getter/2023/06/04/19/8528764d-62a9-25e7-6424-66885ab8f543/f6dfc88e0fd51aba63c6b4490a70561d_768x0.jpg
Beast OBiden and company will never defeat the God Trump prays to. I pray that I live long enough, to see the earth open up and swallow them up.
The Biden Administration has behaved aggressively towards Israel (paying for the Israeli Left to tear the country apart, constantly criticizing Israel for being an “occupier”), towards Saudi Arabia (over the James Kashoggi murder), and has done nothing but ingratiate itself towards Iran, a country which is experienced by Saudi Arabia and Israel as “the head of the snake” in the middle east.
Because Biden showed such contempt for MBS in the past, and such contempt for Bibi during Obama’s administration and now in the Biden administration, the two countries must be thinking, “You guys in the Biden team can’t be serious! What kind of clown show treats potential allies the way you do?
The Biden administration had its clock cleaned by the CCP which took the initiative to bring Saudi Arabia and Iran together because Biden and Co were busy doing everything but governing their own country effectively and leading our allies in a constructive way.
The people in the Biden Administration and Biden himself are viewed as unserious, lacking knowledge, lacking integrity and gravitas, irresponsible if not directly aggressive towards allies, and showing contempt for their own citizens. On top of that Washington is now viewed as creating an unnecessary war in Ukraine and at the same time being unwilling to do what is needed to win the war. Not exactly an image likely to win friends and influence people.
And no doubt blaming the damage on the tree.
I’ve been seeing so much nonesense in the news, the past few days, my “news eyes” are getting fuzzy. Did I actually read, that the path to bringing Saudi Arabia “back into the fold” is through the Fantasy Republic of Palestine? If that’s really what I saw, I’m sorry — I can’t take any of this seriouwsly.
Saudi Arabia has cozied up to Iran and China (and away from the US and Israel) for one reason and one reason only: National Security. After some 80+ years in a comfortable relationship, the Saudis feel they no longer can rely on the US and its clients to protect them.
This is what “The World’s Protector” has turned into, under the current criminal regime:
https://youtu.be/rOqSeH_wwcA
The US under Biden & Co. is like someone buying a brand new car, driving it straight into a tree, and expecting it to not get damaged.