U.S. talks advancing for deal with Saudi Arabia, Israel on normalization

The United States is making progress toward a landmark agreement that would see Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and help developing its own civilian nuclear program, two diplomatic sources told NBC News.

The United States is making progress toward a landmark agreement that would see Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and help developing its own civilian nuclear program, two diplomatic sources told NBC News.

The complex talks are picking up steam and officials on all sides have voiced growing optimism in recent days that they could soon come together in a deal that would transform the political landscape of the Middle East and deliver a major foreign policy victory to President Joe Biden.

Formal recognition of the Jewish state by the Arab world’s most influential power would represent a tectonic shift in the region after more than half a century of conflict and animosity. It could also represent a diplomatic coup for the Biden administration, which has reversed its hard-line stance on Saudi Arabia in a bid to bring together two close U.S. allies as it seeks to ward off China’s growing ambitions.

But significant hurdles remain, including Israel's ongoing conflict with the Palestinians. The deal would see the Palestinians granted as-yet undefined land in the West Bank, the two sources said, but huge questions persist over what it would mean for their future.

Offering Riyadh a formal pact of mutual defense, an arrangement on par with U.S. guarantees to key allies such as Japan and South Korea, could also complicate the domestic politics of any deal.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-talks-saudi-arabia-israel-normalization-deal-rcna116464

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