US top diplomat to visit Israel, Saudi Arabia as normalization talks continue
The Israeli press has reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel, the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Morocco in mid or late October to advance Israel-Saudi normalization.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will reportedly travel to Israel, the West Bank, Saudi Arabia and Morocco in the third week of October as the Biden administration works to broker a peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Israel's 24NEWS, citing American diplomatic sources, said that Blinken had first planned to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, but has now added Saudi Arabia and Morocco to the trip.
Israel Hayom reported that Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel Oct. 17, though the date is not yet official. Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported on Monday that talks between Israeli and American officials have begun to organize Blinken’s regional tour.
However, Kan said that officials within the Biden administration disagree on the extent of the concessions Israel would have to make to the Palestinians in an American-brokered deal for the normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Several of Netanyahu’s coalition partners currently oppose any significant conciliatory moves.
