WH to send Jake Sullivan to 'Israel' for talks with Netanyahu: Axios
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The White House is “concerned” about “Israel's” new policy toward the occupied West Bank, particularly plans to expand illegal settlements and legalize outposts, Axios reported.
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White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (Reuters)
Axios reported on Saturday that the Biden administration intends to send national security advisor Jake Sullivan to “Israel” in mid-January for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now facing scrutiny over the policies of his far-right government that was sworn in on December 29, despite all protests and relevant controversy, according to five Israeli and US officials.
The White House claims to be “concerned” about “Israel's” new policy toward the occupied West Bank, particularly plans to expand illegal settlements and legalize outposts. The United States' concerns even extend to include any step that could potentially endanger what they call "Israeli democracy".
These include proposals to "decrease the independence of Israel's judicial system" and "challenge the rights of its Arab population," as per Axios sources.
Israeli authorities revealed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken could visit soon after Sullivan, which might pave the way for Netanyahu to visit Washington in February, as per Israeli officials.
Sullivan is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu and Tzachi Hanegbi, the Israeli new “national security" advisor.
He will also most likely see Ron Dermer, Netanyahu's confidant and the new minister for strategic affairs, who is expected to be the prime leader's point of contact with the White House.
Israeli sources argue that Netanyahu wants to collaborate with the Biden administration on two critical issues: “ending Iran's nuclear program and achieving a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia."
However, the strained relationship between Washington and Riyadh will make it more difficult for Netanyahu to gain the US support he needs to make headway with Saudi Arabia.
On December 23, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that since the Knesset elections, the head of the Likud party and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in secret contact with the Saudi crown prince, Muhammed bin Salman, and the administration of US President Joe Biden, in an attempt to reach an agreement to normalize relations.
According to the media outlet, Netanyahu is seeking to include Saudi Arabia in the "Abraham Accords", but the chances of that are not great, the report added citing three different sources.
It is worth noting that Netanyahu has lately asked his major ally, the United States, to reconfirm its commitment to Saudi Arabia and to pursuing formal Israeli ties with Riyadh.
"I think we can have a new peace initiative that will form a quantum leap for the achievement of the resolution of [...] the Arab-Israeli conflict and ultimately [...] And of course, I'm referring to what could be a truly remarkable historic peace with Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu told the Saudi news channel Al Arabiya.
Israeli media reported in November that Netanyahu hinted that one of his main goals in the coming period would be to normalize ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Read more: Normalization: A stab in the back to the Palestinian cause
