Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in the northern historical resort of Al Ula, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, January 26, 2025. (Photo: Balkis Press/ABACAPRESS.COM)
A normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia is closer than ever before, Israel’s new ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, told the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
At the same time, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday, meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as a high-ranking official of the Palestinian Authority, Axios reported.
The question of whether Israel will fulfill Saudi Arabia’s demand to agree to the establishment of a Palestinian State, or at least commit to a “roadmap,” has reportedly been among the most significant obstacles in the normalization talks.
The meeting between Witkoff and PA official Hussein al-Sheikh is the first direct contact between the PA and the Trump administration since its election in November and was reportedly brokered by Saudi Arabia.
In May, former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that two things will be required for normalization: “Calm in Gaza and a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.”
Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public opposition to a Palestinian State, his former chief of staff and new ambassador Leiter asserted that an agreement with Saudi Arabia was now close.
Witkoff will continue discussing Saudi-Israeli relations as well as the Gaza ceasefire in meetings with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz in Israel on Wednesday, Israeli media reported.
The envoy is also reportedly planning to visit the Netzarim Corridor in the northern Gaza Strip together with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, to inspect the progress of the ceasefire.
Leiter explained that the destruction of Hamas and Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” has brought Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together, making Saudi-Israeli normalization an integral part of a strategic realignment in the region.
“We’re closer to Saudi Arabia because we’ve degraded Hamas,” he said. “The fall of [Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad] and the weakening of Iran’s influence have brought us to a moment of opportunity.”
“There are few countries in the world, aside from Israel, that want to see Hamas degraded more than Saudi Arabia,” Leiter stressed.
“Wherever the Muslim Brotherhood is compromised, moderation can rise. We’ve seen this in Egypt, Sudan, and Turkey. Saudi Arabia recognizes that defeating these elements is crucial to its own modernization.”
Regarding Saudi support for the Palestinians, he explained that the Saudi population is demanding “tangible benefits for the Palestinians in any deal.”
“It’s a delicate balancing act, but one that can be managed through pragmatic negotiations and international support,” Leiter said.
