Blinken says 'progress' made on Israel-Saudi normalisation

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday in Cairo that there was "progress" in discussions on normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, once the situation in the Gaza Strip is resolved. 

"We have made good progress, especially over this past month. There is still work to be done, but I think the progress is good, tangible, and we are approaching the moment when we can have agreements," he said at a press conference.

Blinken emphasized that this agreement would represent a historic opportunity not only for the two countries but also for the region as a whole.

This statement follows the visit of the U.S. Secretary of State to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Discussions focused on the conflict in Gaza as well as on bilateral relations between the United States and the kingdom.

An anonymous official from the U.S. State Department clarified that there are still some issues to be resolved between the United States and Saudi Arabia to reach an agreement. However, no further details were provided on these outstanding issues.

The United States is engaged in intense diplomatic activity to encourage the reconstruction of Gaza once the conflict is over, as well as to promote normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Saudi Arabia, as a regional heavyweight, has not yet joined the 2020 Abraham Accords, which saw Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco establish official ties with Israel. Riyadh has conditioned any normalization of relations with Israel on the creation of a Palestinian state, a prospect rejected by Israel.

Blinken emphasized that for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel to be achieved, "difficult" decisions would need to be made by the Israeli government, including progress towards a two-state solution.

The U.S. Secretary of State also stated that the United States did not envision a return to the situation prior to the October 7 conflict, the date of the Hamas attack on Israel. He emphasized the need for genuine commitment to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to move towards regional normalization."