A senior White House national security official reiterated Sunday that the United States will not commit to a defense deal with Saudi Arabia unless the agreement includes guarantees for normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia.
Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s chief of national security adviser, told the UK-based Financial Times that the specific agreement currently being discussed with Saudi Arabia will involve the United States and the Gulf on defense issues. He said the focus is on “bilateral understanding” between the kingdoms. as a non-negotiable normalization process with Israel. Similarly, the agreement focuses on a framework that provides “meaningful measures on behalf of the Palestinian people,” he added.
Last Friday, the Biden administration issued a statement denying rumors that a Saudi defense deal would be agreed without Saudi recognition of Israel.
Sullivan laid out a rough, unremarkable timeline, going on to describe the current negotiations as what the nation can expect to hear from President Biden in the “months ahead,” and the administration’s plan to move forward with those negotiations. He pointed out that he believed it could be the key to Israel and its security. and the stability of the entire region.
“All we can do is come up with something that we think makes sense and get as many countries in the region to buy into it and present it. It’s ultimately up to the Israeli leadership. And frankly, ultimately it’s up to the state of Israel. People can decide if that’s the path they want to take,” Sullivan said.
