Although the Hamas war has slowed down normalization efforts with Saudi Arabia, sources in the kingdom say that the door to peace with Israel remains open, despite recent harsh criticism against the IDF.
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A Saudi official told Israel Hayom that as long as the fighting in the region continues, the talks cannot progress. Nevertheless, it does not mean that Riyadh is not interested in establishing ties with Jerusalem.
Video: Erdogan meets bin Salman / Social media
According to the official, Saudi Arabia does not have specific preferences as to who should be the prime minister of Israel, meaning, they would be open to normalizing ties with Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or Minister Benny Gantz, who is gaining momentum in polls. He noted, however, that Netanyahu's unwillingness to "go easy on Palestinians" could hinder the talks.
Just recently, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan clarified that Riyadh expects " a real path" to establishing a Palestinian state, one that includes clear borders. In other words, it seems that Saudi Arabia is waiting for another opportunity to establish ties with Israel.
Israel's "most right-wing government"
In related news, Mohamed Al Harbi, a former senior Saudi official said to be a close associate of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, recently addressed the political situation in Israel, saying that the country was led by its most "right-wing" government ever.
"There is [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich and [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir, who have no military or diplomatic expertise whatsoever and are subject to criticism, and Netanyahu, with his legal process.
"Saudi Arabia's number one priority is the end of the war, then humanitarian aid, followed by dealing with the issue of hostages and addressing the subject of the displaced. But Netanyahu wants to prolong the war to get out of his crisis in the polls."
"There will be no normalization without a Palestinian state," Al Harbi said, "Saudi Arabia is interested in strategic solutions, and this government is composed of extreme right-wing parties that cannot accept it. Maybe in the elections, Gantz or Lapid will come, then the situation will change."
Meanwhile, King Salman of Saudi Arabia called ahead of Ramadan to put an end to the war. The 88-year-old leader represents the king's conservative camp, and with his passing, the official stands on normalization may change slightly.
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