US split over whether Netanyahu capable of accepting Palestinian component of Saudi deal

from Times of Israel

Despite the Gaza war’s evisceration of Israel’s image throughout the Arab world, Saudi Arabia has continued holding high-level discussions with the White House in recent weeks aimed at brokering a normalization agreement with Jerusalem, three US officials told The Times of Israel.

Significant obstacles remain, and any possible deal would hinge on securing a temporary truce in Gaza through a long-elusive hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, the officials clarified.

Still, they all asserted that the gaps between Washington and Riyadh are bridgeable.

Where the US officials said the administration is more divided is on whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be prepared to advance the cause of Palestinian statehood to get the Saudis on board.

The details of what the Palestinian element of the deal will be are still being finalized, but it will require Israel to take concrete steps aimed at establishing a pathway to an eventual Palestinian state, the officials said.

Over much of his years in power, Netanyahu has spoken of his ability to thwart international efforts to promote a two-state solution. Since October 7, those boasts have only grown...

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