Title: Biden’s Peace Deal Faces Obstacles Amid Israeli Leadership Crisis
Subtitle: A potential peace and security deal between the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Palestine faces uncertainty as Israel’s current ruling coalition poses challenges
Date: [Insert Date]
The Biden administration’s ambitious attempt to broker a complex peace and security deal between four key parties – the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Palestinians – has garnered attention and sparked debates about its feasibility. The intricate task of balancing the diverse interests of all four parties has drawn comparisons to the complexity of quantum mechanics. If successful, many believe that President Joe Biden and his team would not only win the Nobel Peace Prize but also the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Among the various permutations this deal could take, one version that merits attention is the only one that serves America’s interest and garners support. This version seeks to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, strengthen the security relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and actively advance a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. However, this version of the deal would likely lead to the breakup of the current Israeli ruling coalition – a coalition led by far-right Jewish supremacists who have never held national security powers before.
Regrettably, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed version of the deal does not align with America’s interests. It is crucial for President Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to avoid being swayed by Netanyahu’s agenda. Normalization cannot be established with an Israeli government that is not normal. For Israel to serve as a stable U.S. ally or Saudi partner, its government must be composed of stakeholders that do not hold extremist views.
Alarming evidence of the Israeli government’s departure from normalcy has surfaced. Tamir Pardo, former head of the Mossad, recently described the coalition as including “horrible racist parties” that resemble the Ku Klux Klan. Additionally, Netanyahu’s foreign minister has engaged with a far-right Romanian party with a troubling history of antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Netanyahu’s government attempts to build alternative alliances using xenophobic and extremist parties in Europe, which disregards settlements and Israel’s democracy defenders.
This situation is disheartening but crucial to acknowledge. For 75 years, U.S.-Israeli relations centered around protecting Israel from external Arab and Iranian threats. Now, U.S. diplomats, the military, citizens, and Jewish organizations need to recognize their role in saving Israel from an internal Israeli Jewish threat magnified by the nation’s own government.
In the proposed Saudi deal, two primary components were considered. The first aimed to upgrade the U.S.-Saudi alliance, permitting Saudi Arabia’s development of a civilian nuclear program and access to advanced U.S. weaponry. The United States, in turn, secured a mutual defense treaty with Saudi Arabia, with the condition that Saudi Arabia limit its ties with China. The second component outlined a normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, hinging on Israel making concessions to the Palestinians in support of a two-state solution.
While the details of the Saudi-U.S. portion are yet to be made public, the Israeli-Saudi-Palestinian component comprises both favorable and unfavorable versions. Netanyahu’s version, which he may advocate for, seeks to exploit the peace process to benefit his coalition’s dream of West Bank annexation, while Saudi Arabia unknowingly funds the endeavor. This is a deal that Biden and Prince Mohammed must firmly reject.
Instead, the ideal deal would require Israel to freeze all settlement building in the West Bank designated for future Palestinian statehood. It would also necessitate Israel refraining from legalizing additional illegal Israeli settlements and promoting the transfer of territory from Israeli-controlled Area C to Areas B and A under enhanced Palestinian control, as defined by the Oslo Accords.
Furthermore, the United States and Saudi Arabia must openly commit to achieving a two-state solution in the West Bank, which has been a longstanding goal supported by previous U.S. administrations and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
Adherence to these requirements is essential as they are conditions that Netanyahu’s coalition cannot accept easily. Such conditions would force Israel to choose between annexation and normalization with Saudi Arabia, a crucial gateway to significant Muslim countries. This choice would likely dismantle Netanyahu’s government but could also lead to new Israeli elections or the formation of a national unity government focused on restoring sanity.
The urgency lies not just in stopping this Israeli coalition, which poses a significant threat to Israel’s democracy, but also in preventing a detrimental deal that enables Netanyahu to dismantle the Supreme Court, pursue normalization with Saudi Arabia, and offer little to the Palestinians. Such a deal would fail to serve as a stable foundation for the Saudi-Israeli strategic partnership sought by Crown Prince Mohammed.
President Biden, given his impressive foreign policy legacy, should reject this deal that undermines peace and stability. It remains imperative to say no to a deal that jeopardizes the potential for lasting peace in the region and endangers the future of U.S.-Israeli relations. By championing a fair and balanced agreement, President Biden has the opportunity to steer the parties involved toward a path of peaceful coexistence and a potential Nobel Peace Prize-worthy solution.
Note: This news article is a creative interpretation and does not represent real events or quotes.