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Jake Sullivan to visit Saudi Arabia, 'Israel' for normalisation talks

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 May 2024 23:26
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Sullivan will commence his discussions by meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday and will then hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan briefs reporters at the White House, Monday, May, 13, 2024 (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

US President Joe Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, is scheduled to embark on a diplomatic journey to Saudi Arabia and "Israel" over the weekend, the White House confirmed on Friday.

According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, Sullivan will commence his discussions by meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday. Following this, he will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

Axios previously reported that a visit to Saudi Arabia and "Israel" was scheduled but did not mention the precise date of the visit. Another Axios report published earlier revealed that Sullivan will be heading to Saudi Arabia to discuss a "mega-deal" that would see Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with "Israel."

Prior to the start of the war on Gaza, the Palestinian Authority had agreed for Riyadh to normalize relations with "Israel" without the granting of Palestinian statehood. That agreement came to a complete halt when "Israel" launched its genocidal campaign in Gaza.

On May 5, Sullivan told the Financial Times that the White House would not be signing a security agreement with Saudi Arabia without the latter agreeing to normalize ties with the Israeli occupation.

"You can't disentangle one piece from the others," he said in reference to Saudi Arabia and the Israeli occupation, both key regional allies of the United States.

Sullivan dismissed circulating news about the US considering a defense agreement with Riyadh if the Israeli occupation refused to make concessions to the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing ceasefire talks.