The Wall Street Journal quotes an Israeli official as saying 'Circumstances have chilled enthusiasm,' in Riyadh, after Netanyahu said he'd prioritize normalizing relations with the kingdom upon his return to office in December
Israeli military incursions into the West Bank, police raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and anti-Palestinian comments made by officials have hindered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to deepen ties with Israel’s Arab neighbors, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
Netanyahu said upon his return to office in December that he would prioritize normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, with Israeli leaders expressing optimism that they could strike a deal with Riyadh within months with help from the Biden administration, the report said.
Yet Saudi interest in embracing Israel has declined, according to The Journal, as Netanyahu pushes to expand settlements in areas of the West Bank that would constitute a future Palestinian state and violence between Israelis and Palestinians intensifies. Cooperation between the two nations still continued behind the scenes, the report added.
The report quotes an Israeli official as saying “Circumstances have chilled enthusiasm,” adding that officials say they no longer believe they can secure a deal allowing Muslims to fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia for the sacred Hajj pilgrimage this summer.
Israeli efforts to expand relations with other Muslim nations have also slowed, people familiar with the efforts told The Journal.
The domestic crisis over Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul has also diverted attention from the efforts to broker such a deal, the report says, adding that the prime minister asked Ron Dermer – Israel’s former ambassador to Washington who was expected to lead talks with Saudi Arabia – to focus on domestic issues instead.
With extensive help from the U.S., Israel has formed and strengthened its military and economic ties with the UAE., Bahrain and Morocco.