Biden Suggests – Saudi Arabia would be Interested in Establishing Formal Diplomatic Ties with Israel
Date : 21st October, 2023
Location: Washington, United States
THE SOIL – About 1,400 people were tragically killed in an attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on October 7. According to President Joe Biden, Riyadh’s desired improvement in relations with Israel may have been the motivation behind this conduct.
President Biden made a suggestion at a campaign fundraiser that Saudi Arabia would be interested in establishing formal diplomatic ties with Israel.
Saudi Arabia Grants Permission for its Gulf Neighbours to open Diplomatic Relations with Israel
2020 saw Saudi Arabia, a powerful nation in the Middle East and the guardian of the two holiest sites in Islam, provide permission for its Gulf neighbours, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, to open diplomatic relations with Israel. This crucial action was taken by the previous Trump administration in the United States.
Riyadh has chosen not to support this action, stating that the Palestinian statehood aspirations should be addressed before taking any more action.
The Number of Victims Exceeded 4,000
The June visit to Riyadh by Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the need of looking for ways to strengthen relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. However, he stressed that it is not appropriate to expect any quick fixes.
Blinken told CNN on October 8 that he thought it possible that the incident was carried out primarily to undermine current efforts to strengthen the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Israel responded to the events on October 7 by conducting a coordinated campaign of heavy bombings on the Gaza Strip. The number of victims exceeded 4,000. Alongside measures to neutralise Hamas, Israel has stated that it intends to take action to obtain the release of persons who have been kidnapped by the terrorist group.