U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a trip to the Middle East to ease tensions there, declared on the same day that there was a "clear interest" in pursuing the goal of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to AFP on January 8.
According to the report, Blinken arrived in Israel on the evening of the 8th after visiting six countries. Blinken declared that all the leaders he met with during his diplomatic marathon agreed to work with the United States to contribute to the reconstruction and long-term stability of the Gaza Strip.
Blinken's remarks came after a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the historic city of Al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
According to the report, a week after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of negotiations on normalization of relations with Israel. Previously, Saudi Arabia did not sign the 2020 U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. The agreement formally established diplomatic relations between Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco, among others, with Israel.
This is the fourth visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Middle East since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Prior to Saudi Arabia, Blinken also visited Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the report, Blinken said that there is a "broad consensus" among the leaders of these countries, including that "Israelis must live in peace and security", that the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip must be united under Palestinian governance, and that an independent Palestinian state must be established.
According to the Associated Press on January 8, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on the 8th that the four major Arab countries and Turkey have agreed to start planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israel's war against Hamas ends.
According to the report, Blinken said that he will pass on the commitments of these Arab countries to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on the 9th and 10th, respectively, and then pass them on to Egypt ** Sisi, and then return to Washington.
Any post-war plan for Gaza will require support from both Israel and Palestine, but Netanyahu and his ** have their own ideas for Gaza's future, and others are likely not to accept them, the report said. In addition, Netanyahu still opposes a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is a special demand of the Saudi side if Israel wants to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman remains interested in normalizing relations with Israel, "but that requires an end to the conflict in Gaza and, obviously, a viable path to Palestinian statehood," Blinken said.
*: Refer to the news network).