Prominent Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham today called on Saudi Arabia and Israel to establish diplomatic relations with each other by the end of this year, warning in Israel that the next US administration is unlikely to be able to secure enough votes to support future contractual relations, reported Reuters.
The government of the current US President Joe Biden seeks to mediate the normalization of relations between the two countries, part of which would be US guarantees for the security of the Gulf country, and other bilateral agreements between Washington and Riyadh are also envisaged.
“Through the Senate, we can get you a treaty between the United States and Saudi Arabia, a security agreement like what you have with Japan and Australia, if you act before the end of President Biden’s term,” the South Carolina state representative in the Senate told reporters in Jerusalem. (the upper house of the US Parliament), which is considered close to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“The next president of the United States is going to have a very difficult time getting (the necessary) 67 votes,” Graham said, referring to the two-thirds majority of senators needed to approve a defense deal. Joe Biden’s presidential term ends on January 20, 2025.
The longtime senator is among the most influential Republicans in the US Congress, whose opinion weighs on both foreign policy and domestic security, Reuters notes. Graham, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, added that he will visit Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who de facto rules the kingdom, and the UAE, where he will hold talks with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, writes BTA.
The United Arab Emirates established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020.
Saudi officials, including Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have discussed possibly establishing relations with Israel, but over the past year have insisted that at least pave the way for a Palestinian state – a palpably greater difficulty since the outbreak. of the war in the Gaza Strip, notes Reuters.
A normalization of Israeli-Saudi relations could open the door for many other Arab and generally Muslim countries to build ties with Israel, thereby helping the stability of the region. This would happen thanks to the influence in the Islamic world of Saudi Arabia, where the two most revered Muslim holy places – Mecca and Medina – are located, the agency said.