Israeli Lawmaker: Establishing Relations with Saudi Arabia Not Seen in the Short Term

A senior Israeli lawmaker said on Sunday that establishing any kind of relations with Saudi Arabia does not seem practical in the short term. According to Reuters, he pointed to issues that he claims have not yet been resolved in the ongoing negotiations between Riyadh and American mediators. Joe Biden, the President of the United States, sent his national security adviser to Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential normalization agreement with Israel. The idea of establishing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia has been discussed since the Saudis quietly signaled green lights to their Gulf neighbors, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, to normalize relations with Israel in 2020. Yuli Edelstein, the head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and a senior member of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, told Israel Army Radio that he thinks it is still too early to talk about an agreement with Saudi Arabia. He said that most of Saudi discussions are with the U.S. and not with Israel. The lawmaker stated that some of Riyadh's demands from Washington can be 'better' accommodated, while others cannot. Earlier, Biden had also stated that Israel and Saudi Arabia are far from normalizing relations. Saudi Arabia is seeking U.S. cooperation to develop a civilian nuclear program on its soil. American and Israeli media have also reported on Saudi efforts to enhance U.S. defense imports. Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel is building a railway line worth 100 billion shekels ($27 billion) that will connect its surrounding areas to the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv and could potentially provide land connectivity with Saudi Arabia in the future. Concerns over the Islamic Republic's subversive activities in the region, including its support for militia groups, have been among the reasons for Arab countries' closeness to Israel. Arab countries are also looking to utilize advanced Israeli technologies. The U.S. national security adviser is seeking to expand 'strategic relations' during his visit to Saudi Arabia. Biden: Israel and Saudi Arabia are far from normalizing relations. The Wall Street Journal: The Islamic Republic is 'circumventing' drone sanctions by 'copying.' Increase in Iranian 'cheap oil' exports coinciding with a decrease in Saudi production. Blinken: No new nuclear agreement with Iran is on the table.