Against the backdrop of renewed efforts by the Biden administration to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Israel Hayom‘s reporting indicates that a breakthrough in relations is unlikely to occur in the coming months and almost certainly not this year.
The conventional wisdom among Israeli policymakers is that the thaw in relations is only in its initial phase and that a full-fledged agreement on having the two sides normalize relations would take at least several months and perhaps even a year.
Officials in Jerusalem have stressed that regardless of Israel’s stance, the chances of a breakthrough hinge more on U.S. President Joe Biden’s willingness to pivot away from his current policy towards the kingdom, which has seen relations reach a low point.
The United States has so far not changed its posture towards the de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, whom Biden has accused of being behind the assassination of American journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.