Could America be on the verge of brokering a normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia? The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the US and Saudi Arabia had agreed the “broad contours” of an agreement for Riyadh to open formal relations with Israel, which would mark a new geopolitical era in the region. In exchange, the kingdom wants US security guarantees and help with a civilian nuclear programme, as well as concessions on Palestinian statehood. The US in turn wants Saudi Arabia to limit its expanding ties with China. The White House quickly played down the report, with national security spokesman John Kirby telling reporters “there is no agreed-to set of negotiations, there’s no agreed-to framework”. Even the WSJ piece cites the “long odds” of a final deal, that at best could emerge in nine to 12 months. Brian Katulis, vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said reaching a deal was like scaling several Mount Everests in succession. “To me, it seems highly improbable in the short run,” he told the WSJ, “but who knows?”
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