Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed hope that a “historic” agreement to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia could be “within reach” .
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office on Wednesday, Netanyahu made his remarks after meeting US President Joe Biden in New York during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
Since Netanyahu’s re-election in December 2022, it was their first encounter.
The Biden administration has been trying to negotiate an agreement to mend fences between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
By working together, Israel and Saudi Arabia “can forge a historic peace,” Netanyahu said Biden.
The Arab-Israeli problem would be resolved, peace between the Islamic world and the Jewish state would be achieved, and a genuine peace between Israel and the Palestinians would also be advanced, he continued. The message reads, “This is something we can achieve.”
Israel’s National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi said earlier this month that direct conversations between his nation and the Palestinian Authority had taken place as part of Israel’s efforts to mend fences with Saudi Arabia.
In recent months, both Riyadh and Washington have emphasised that any deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel that was mediated by the US would need to see progress in finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem.
