Posted on 06/07/23
| News Source: Newsmax
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met today with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah.
While one U.S. official reportedly told The Times of Israel that Blinken "discussed the possibility of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel," neither the State Department, nor the Saudi Foreign Ministry statement made any mention of normalization discussions. The U.S. State Department Spokesperson's Office released a fact sheet regarding the "Eight Decades of Partnership" between the United States and Saudi Arabia, which also made no mention of such talks.
Blinken discussed issues of regional security through defense agreements, cooperation in resolving regional conflicts, economic collaboration, technology and clean energy cooperation, and educational partnerships, according to a readout attributed to U.S. Spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Before leaving for the Saudi Kingdom on Monday, Blinken spoke to pro-Israel lobby group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that "The United States has a real national security interest in promoting normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia."
In that speech, Blinken affirmed America's commitment to Israel's security, especially regarding the Iranian threat, saying, "America is more secure when Israel is strong."
The U.S. secretary also said the Biden administration "is advancing Israel's security – and our own – in another critical way: By working to deepen Israel's relationship with its neighbors to advance our goal of regional integration and de-escalation."
The Abraham Accords peace agreements that were signed in 2020 are significant to regional integration, creating connections on various levels: government, technology, economy, and health care, according to Blinken, who said the administration is reportedly "working hard behind the scenes, leading with diplomacy to continue the momentum [of the Abraham Accords]."