Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Netanyahu Tells UN That Israel Is 'at the Cusp' of an Historic Agreement With Saudi Arabia
By admin
Published 2 years ago on
September 22, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

UNITED NATIONS — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that Israel is “at the cusp” of a historic breakthrough leading to a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia.

He struck an optimistic tone throughout his roughly 25-minute address, displaying contrasting maps showing Israel’s isolation at the time of its creation in 1948 and the six countries that have normalized relations with it, including four that did so in 2020 in the so-called Abraham Accords.

“There’s no question the Abraham Accords heralded the dawn of a new age of peace. But I believe that we are at the cusp of an even more dramatic breakthrough, an historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Netanyahu said. “Peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia will truly create a new Middle East.”

There are several obstacles in the way of such an agreement, including the Saudis’ demand for progress in the creation of a Palestinian state — a hard sell for Netanyahu’s government, the most hawkish in Israel’s history. The Saudis are also seeking a defense pact with the United States and want help in building their own civilian nuclear program.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview with Fox News this week that the two sides are getting closer to an agreement, without providing much detail about the U.S.-led negotiations. He declined to specify what exactly the Saudis are seeking for the Palestinians.

Netanyahu said the Palestinians “could greatly benefit from a broader peace.”

“They should be part of it,” he said, “but they should not have a veto over the process.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who addressed the General Assembly on Thursday, made no direct reference to efforts to reach a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But he reiterated the centrality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has only worsened since the Abraham Accords were signed.

“Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full and legitimate national rights are mistaken,” Abbas said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Britain and Allies Sanction Israeli Far-Right Ministers for ‘Inciting Violence’

Federal Raids Threaten California Businesses as Immigrant Workers Vanish From Job Sites

1 hour ago

Water Scarcity Is Forcing Tough Decisions. This Legislation Can Keep Our Family Farm Afloat

2 hours ago

California Is a Donor State, but Can It Stop Sending Its Tax Dollars to DC?

Gov. Gavin Newsom fired back at President Trump’s threat to cut federal funding to California by highlighting the state’s signif...

9 minutes ago

9 minutes ago

California Is a Donor State, but Can It Stop Sending Its Tax Dollars to DC?

Military Vehicles on LA Freeway 101
21 minutes ago

Marines Prepare to Deploy in LA as More Protests Planned Across US

1 hour ago

Harvey Weinstein Convicted of Sex Crime Amid Contentious Jury Deliberations

1 hour ago

Federal Raids Threaten California Businesses as Immigrant Workers Vanish From Job Sites

2 hours ago

Water Scarcity Is Forcing Tough Decisions. This Legislation Can Keep Our Family Farm Afloat

Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, center, applauds for those affected by the Los Angeles area wildfires as she gives the State of the State address in the House of Representatives at the state Capitol with Speaker of the House Rep. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, left, and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, flanking the governor on Jan. 13, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP File)
2 hours ago

Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill to Ban Teaching Antisemitism in Arizona’s Public Schools

Brian Wilson obit
2 hours ago

Brian Wilson, Summer’s Poet Laureate of the Beach Boys, Dies at 82

2 hours ago

Russian Attacks Kill 3 and Wound 64 as Drones Hit Kharkiv and Other Parts of Ukraine

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend