Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to wait until after the US presidential elections in November before continuing his pursuit of normalization with Saudi Arabia, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12 News.
Netanyahu allegedly discussed the issue with President Joe Biden during their recent meeting at the White House. During that visit, an Israeli official told reporters in a briefing in Washington that an Israeli-Saudi peace agreement was still possible prior to November.
However, Biden’s announcement that he had decided not to run for reelection and was instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination has changed the picture in many ways.
It now seems unlikely that any regional players in the Middle East — including Israel’s prime minister — are willing risk a decision on such a significant diplomatic agreement before the identity of the next White House occupant becomes clear.
