Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman implied Tuesday that normalization talks with Israel would continue after the Israel-Gaza war concludes, a White House readout noted.
The readout noted that President Joe Biden and Salman “affirmed the importance of working towards a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, building on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months.” (RELATED: Blinken Gets Cold Reception From Saudi Prince, Egyptian President During Meetings On Israel War)
Live update: Saudi crown prince tells Biden Israel normalization can resume after war https://t.co/wMLgryvsBl . Click to read ⬇️
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The work of “recent months” is a reference to the talks about the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia that preceded Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel, according to The Times of Israel. The outlines for Saudi normalization reportedly included concessions by Israel toward the Palestinians, U.S. security guarantees, and an agreement for a Saudi nuclear program, the United States Institute of Peace noted.
Biden previously claimed that one of Hamas’ objectives in attacking Israel was to stymie Saudi-Israel normalization talks, Reuters noted. The White House readout observed that Biden and Salman agreed to exert efforts to prevent a widening of the conflict and maintain regional stability. Both leaders called for Hamas to immediately release hostages and welcomed the humanitarian relief being sent to Gaza, the readout noted.