Saudi Officials Say Normalization with Israel is Only a "Matter of Time"

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Saudi Arabia may normalize ties with Israel and join the Abraham Accords, according to senior officials from both Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Former Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said during the first Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit held in Rome that he expects to see an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalize ties within the next year.

However, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir had a different opinion regarding normalizing Saudi-Israeli ties. While he agreed that both countries are taking directions toward normalizing relations, he noted that this could take some time.

"Israel and other Gulf states have been gradually normalizing for years. The process must be allowed to mature," Al-Jubeir said.

Israeli news outlet i24NEWS reported that Al-Jubeir had a meeting with US Jewish community leaders in Washington regarding the future of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

He told Jewish American officials visiting Saudi Arabia in a separate meeting that the success of normalizing ties with Israel would depend on moderate elements in the Muslim-majority Kingdom, adding that there is still significant opposition to building relations with Israel in the country.

i24NEWS also learned about a conversation between an American delegation to Riyadh and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, which the Washington Institute organized. The Saudi Crown Prince was asked about the conditions that would bring Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel and join the Abraham Accords.

Mohammad Bin Salman listed three demands, all aimed at Washington. These demands were the affirmation of ties between the US and Saudi Arabia, a commitment to send more weapons to the country, and an agreement allowing the Gulf state to exploit its uranium reserves for a civil nuclear program. The Palestinian issue was not mentioned in the meeting, according to a source who was present. 

While the Saudi Crown Prince expressed increased American support as a condition for normalizing relations with Israel, there are still high hopes that Saudi Arabia would join the Accords.

Imam Mohammad Tawhidi, an Iranian Shi’a Muslim scholar and vice-president of The Global Imams Council, was also present during the Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit in Rome. He said he sees a future where Saudi Arabia and Iran would have normal relations with Israel. He also said peace between Israel, Iran, and even between the Sunni and Shi’a branches of Islam is closer than ever.

Aside from Danny Danon and Mohammad Tahwidi, many religious leaders and senior officials from 30 countries joined the Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit, where they also signed the Abraham Values Pledge, agreeing on the values of tolerance, co-existence, and religious diversity as well as economic peace. 

The Abraham Accords was signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain in 2020, with the United States serving as a mediator. Sudan and Morocco also normalized ties with Israel under the accord in the same year.

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