There is growing frustration among Israeli and Saudi officials over what is perceived to be an over-emphasis by Washington on having Jerusalem make concessions to the Palestinians as a means of moving forward in the normalization process that would see a trilateral agreement between the three countries, Israel Hayom has learned.
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Sources familiar with the ongoing talks have told Israel Hayom that the Biden administration's focus on this matter has had the effect of hampering the potential momentum and has impeded would-be breakthroughs.
Video: Netanyahu and Biden meeting in New York / Credit: Video: Roi Avraham/GPO, sound: Yehezkel Kandil/GPO
One source noted that on the big issues – including a potential US-Saudi defense alliance that would come alongside a new civilian nuclear program in the kingdom – there are no insurmountable gaps because the disagreements are not substantial. The source noted, though, that the American emphasis on the Palestinian aspect has been perceived as over the top and thus had the potential of undermining the entire process.
The criticism of the White House among Israeli figures and Saudi elements has been voiced behind closed doors. The officials stress that Riyadh is not part of the pressure on Israel to make major diplomatic concessions to the Palestinians. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in an interview with Fox News several weeks ago, refused to make demands from Israel on the Palestinian issue and has simply stated that his expectation was merely that Israel "improved the lives of Palestinians."
Nevertheless, Biden administration officials currently engaged in the mediation process between Israel and Saudi Arabia have floated a series of demands from Israel on this matter. As Israel Hayom reported several days ago, the US asked Israel to allow the reopening of an independent US consulate general in Jerusalem that would effectively serve as a diplomatic mission to the Palestinians. Additionally, pressure is mounting on Israel to increase economic support for the Palestinian Authority.
As revealed on Sunday, Israel has increased the financial aid to the Palestinians using various accounting measures and lowering the scope of tax collection. This has resulted in a total of 350 million shekels ($91 million) of additional funds going to Ramallah from Israel since the beginning of 2023. It appears that this is a result of US pressure to strengthen Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
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