Midday yesterday, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the US and Saudi Arabia have agreed to âthe broad contours of a deal for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel.â As Iâve reported several times in the past, included in the agreement would be a US guarantee of Saudi Arabiaâs safety, assistance by Washington in civilian nuclear development, and some significant concessions by Israel regarding the Palestinians.
The news media went wild, and many people couldnât contain their excitement. Where you didnât find excitement was in Israelâs leadership who are not at all ready to budge on Palestinian issues, a position that hadnât been a block in Saudi/Israeli relations until the US made it one.
But before the media had an opportunity to joyfully denounce Israel, the US National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby threw cold water on the WSJ report saying, âJust to be blunt here, the reporting has left some people with the impression that the discussions are further along and closer to a sense of certainty than they are.â So, who do you believe? When it comes to Middle East politics, the answer is usually âno oneâ…
