The White House is losing ground in its efforts to further a pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia, despite the initial success of former President Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords, according to Bloomberg.
The White House has been in talks for months to try and expand upon the foundation made by the Trump administration’s Abraham Accords, which formed a historic peace pact between multiple Middle Eastern nations, but has had little success as tensions between Israel and Saudi Arabia have continued to grow over the Palestinian conflict, The Associated Press reported. Saudi Arabia further informed the White House that a deal of normalcy between itself and the Jewish state could only be reached if the U.S. was willing to provide defense aid, access to U.S. weapons and no interference with its nuclear program, according to Bloomberg. (RELATED: Israel Passes Sweeping Judicial Reform Bill Despite Biden’s Calls Not To)
The oil giant, which has historically supported the Palestinian claims to the West Bank, Gaza and parts of Jerusalem, has warned in the past that its compliance with any pact would depend on a resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, which has seen an uptick in violence in recent months, according to the AP.
Israel’s Mossad Director David Barnea reportedly visited the White House in July to discuss the impending deal with CIA officials and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to anonymous officials that spoke to Axios. CIA Director Bill Burns also met with Barnea to go over the plan and discussed the Jewish state’s judicial reform legislation, which passed on July 24.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 18: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the Oval Office at the White House on July 18, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The U.S.’ relationship with Israel has been under immense strain after President Joe Biden voiced his disapproval of Israel’s attempts to pass judicial reform legislation on several occasions and has refused for several months to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, though in July the two leaders planned to meet in the future on an undisclosed date. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also called out the Jewish state for continuing to build settlements in the West Bank and for its handling of the Palestinian issue.
Biden met with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog at the White House on July 18 to tout the two nation’s close relationship and affirmed its support of the Jewish state. However, prior to the visit, former Prime Minister and leader of the Yesh Atid opposition party Yair Lapid said that he did not consider the U.S. to be Israel’s “closest ally” any longer.
White House and the CIA did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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