Advancing Peace and Bilateral Relations: A New Approach by Saudi Arabia and the USA
Dr. Turki Faisal Al Rasheed comment the Washington Post
As the U.S. moves towards a potential resolution to the Gaza conflict, I am encouraged by the Saudi government’s decision to take a different approach by seeking an agreement with the USA, rather than aligning with Netanyahu’s right-wing extremist government. It is crucial to achieve peace by ending the occupation and acknowledging past mistakes.
Under the Biden administration, there is a significant opportunity to reach an agreement and secure a deal without facing strong opposition from Netanyahu’s extremist partners. The White House has confirmed that the United States and Saudi Arabia are now closer than ever to a bilateral agreement. The first part of this agreement, which is almost finalized, entails defense guarantees and civil nuclear cooperation, as previously agreed upon during the Bush administration. This effort aims to steer Saudi Arabia away from its current largest business partner, China ( China is a major partner in Saudi Arabia’s transformation under Vision 2030).
The second part of the agreement focuses on the normalization of ties with Israel. However, this aspect is contingent upon a separate commitment to establish a pathway towards a Palestinian state, based on the principles of the 2002 Arab Summit initiative and international law. It is essential to strive for a long-term and sustainable solution. Unfortunately, the extreme government that rules Israel is not interested in durable and lasting peace making this part of the agreement untenable currently.
Israel’s Western allies would do themselves and the Israeli people a favor by convincing the Israelis that peace and occupation cannot coexist. So far, Israel’s occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands has harmed U.S. interests in the region and made Israel less secure.
The United States may face challenges in enacting the bilateral pact domestically, given the limited time remaining on the Congressional calendar.
We are currently witnessing a significant geopolitical shift, where Saudi Arabia seeks closer ties with China as a trading partner and relies on Russia to stabilize the energy market. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia also would like to maintain its strategic ties with the USA.
The U.S. assembles the pieces of a possible Gaza war endgame
If you’re having trouble viewing the comment, please copy and paste this link in your browser: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/24/palestinians-civilian-suffering-gaza-israel/?commentID=45f6513f-4e12-4809-9147-96cd686e4f84
Leave a Reply