Once Benjamin Netanyahu assumes the role of prime minister again, he will surely look to build on the diplomatic successes that he achieved in his previous stint as Israel's leader. More specifically, he will look to expand the Abraham Accords, which established full diplomatic relations between the Jewish state and four Arab countries, more than doubling the number of Arab states that now recognize Israel.
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Before winning the recent elections, Netanyahu said that he was intent on concluding a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. This would be no small feat, but if anyone can pull it off, it's him. Saudi Arabia gave its tacit support to the Arab countries that have already joined the Abraham Accords, but until now, the Saudis have refrained from concluding a peace agreement with Israel themselves, insisting that they cannot establish full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved.
Saudi Arabia has undergone quite a transformation in the last five years, since Mohammed Bin Salman, often known by his initials, MBS, became the country's crown prince and de facto ruler. Officially, MBS' father, King Salman, is still the man in charge of the kingdom, but he has, for the most part, given his son the freedom to rule as he pleases. MBS has presided over significant changes in the kingdom. He has loosened the country's religious restrictions and has allowed women greater freedom, permitting women to drive, attend sporting events, and travel without a male escort. He has also opened the country up to tourism and allowed the establishment of cinemas for the first time in decades.
It is widely thought that MBS would like to join the Abraham Accords and establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, but King Salman will not allow it. That being said, the king will soon be celebrating his 87th birthday, and he is not in good health. Thus, Israel may have to wait until the king is gone and MBS assumes the Saudi throne before a peace agreement with the world's largest oil exporter can be achieved.
Nevertheless, I predict that Netanyahu will still try and convince the Saudis to join the Abraham Accords sooner rather than later. But how can he convince the Saudis to establish full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state in spite of King Salman's reservations? Well, if the king's main objection to relations with Israel is the lack of a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, then perhaps Netanyahu should remind him that the Palestinians have repeatedly been offered the statehood that they crave, but they have always said no. They were first offered statehood in 1947, as part of the United Nations' Partition Plan for the former British Mandate of Palestine. They said no. Then, the Palestinians were offered statehood in 2000, during a summit at Camp David in the US They said no. Eight years later, Israel again offered a deal that would have allowed the Palestinians to establish a country of their own. But again, the Palestinians said no. To make a long story short, Israel has done its part to try to resolve its conflict with the Palestinians, but the Palestinians haven't done theirs. Once the king realizes this, he should have no issue allowing Saudi Arabia to establish full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
In fact, if King Salman truly wants a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the best thing he can do is join the Abraham Accords, because doing so will send a message to the Palestinians that their Arab allies are tired of waiting for them to say yes to peace. This is the message that four other Arab countries already sent when they signed on to the Abraham Accords. But obviously, the Palestinians have yet to heed that message. Therefore, it's time for more countries like Saudi Arabia to continue sending it until the Palestinians finally listen.
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