US downplays media reports on close Israeli-Saudi normalization deal
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The White House admits that there is yet a long way to be covered before an agreement could be reached.
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US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2022 (AFP)
Washington debunked claims reported by The Wall Street Journal regarding reaching a general outline for a normalization agreement between the Israeli occupation and Saudi Arabia.
The US newspaper reported on Wednesday that US officials said the Israeli entity agreed to make concessions to Palestinians in order to ease the way for a broader understanding. The officials, as per the report, claimed that a normalization deal could be struck between nine to 12 months.
But the White House later refuted the report, saying there is yet a long path of discussions.
Read more: US dispatches envoy for normalization talks with Saudi Arabia
"Quite frankly, just to be blunt here, I think the reporting has left some people with the impression that the discussions are farther along and closer to some sense of certainty than they actually are," National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said.
"There are still a lot of conversations that have to occur before we get there," he added.
"Bottom line: there's no agreed-to set of negotiations, there's no agreed-to framework to codify normalization or any of the other security considerations that we and our friends have in the region. But there is a commitment by the administration to keep talking and to keep trying to move things forward."
Echoing Kirby's statement, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stressed that the report “vastly overstates where things stand.”
Read more: US doubts Israeli-Saudi normalization agreement possible: NYT
Earlier today, Israeli media said the security and military establishment is mapping out a position regarding the security framework of a possible normalization agreement with Riyadh.
The Israeli channel Kan political affairs commentator, Gili Cohen, explained that the Israeli security and military establishment is monitoring the discussions between the US administration and senior officials in Saudi Arabia over a huge arms deal that includes advanced systems, and in turn, paves the way for the path of normalization.
Cohen revealed that in recent weeks, Saudi Arabia had conveyed a message to the United States and "Israel", in which it stated that it did not want small steps in the process, but rather important ones, that is, a big package that includes weapons.
But the commentator suggested that if this happens "Israel must obtain advanced weapon systems in return, in order to maintain the qualitative superiority of the Israeli army."
