Israel discussing possible direct Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia
1 year, 7 months ago

Israel discussing possible direct Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia

Al Jazeera  

Israel’s foreign minister says request submitted and “issue is under discussion”. Israel has expressed hope that authorities in Saudi Arabia would allow direct flights for its Muslim citizens who want to make the Hajj pilgrimage, which takes place next month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s predecessor, Yair Lapid, said in March that as prime minister in 2022, he had gotten Saudi consent for the direct flights. Since 2020, Saudi Arabia has allowed Israeli airlines to use its airspace to fly to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, countries with which it has normalised relations. Israel and Saudi Arabia have no diplomatic ties, but the two have been making incremental progress towards normalising them since 2020 as part of a US- Several thorny issues have impacted this progress.

Hajj Saudi Arabia Muslims Israel Saudi Israeli Arabia Discussing Possible  travel  saudi  minister  arabia  flights  direct  submitted  united  discussing  possible  pilgrimage  israel  hajj  request

History of this topic

Syria and Saudi Arabia resume regular commercial flights as part of a thaw in relations
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Syria and Saudi Arabia resume regular commercial flights as part of a thaw in relations

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS — Regular flights between the Syrian capital of Damascus and Saudi Arabia resumed Wednesday for the first time in more than a decade as part of a thaw in relations between the countries, Syrian state media reported. Syria and Saudi Arabia had severed ties in 2012 over President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters at the start of …

Muslims start the Hajj against the backdrop of the devastating Israel-Hamas war
6 months, 1 week ago

Muslims start the Hajj against the backdrop of the devastating Israel-Hamas war

Associated Press  

MINA, Saudi Arabia — In sweltering temperatures, Muslim pilgrims in the Saudi city of Mecca converged on a vast desert tent camp Friday, officially starting the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Muslim pilgrims arrive at the Mina tent camp during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, June 14, 2024. Pilgrims leave after offering prayers outside …

Millions start Hajj in shadow of Israel’s war on Gaza
6 months, 1 week ago

Millions start Hajj in shadow of Israel’s war on Gaza

Al Jazeera  

Rituals expected to draw more than two million pilgrims this year, praying for peace in Gaza, Yemen and Sudan. More than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have gathered in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca for the start of Hajj, taking place this year against the harrowing backdrop of Israel’s continued onslaught on the Gaza Strip. The annual pilgrimage began on Friday with crowds …

Over 1.5 Million Foreign Muslims Reach Saudi Arabia’s Mecca For Annual Hajj
6 months, 1 week ago

Over 1.5 Million Foreign Muslims Reach Saudi Arabia’s Mecca For Annual Hajj

News 18  

Muslim pilgrims have been streaming into Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca ahead of the start of the Hajj later this week, as the annual pilgrimage returns to its monumental scale. Saudi officials say more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in the country by Tuesday, the vast majority by air, from across the world. Saudi officials have said …

First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage
6 months, 3 weeks ago

First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS, Syria — For the first time in over a decade, 270 Syrians traveled on a direct flight early Tuesday from Damascus to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, the Syrian Transportation Ministry said. The development is part of an ongoing thaw in relations between Damascus and Riyadh, which days ago appointed Saudi Arabia’s first ambassador to war-torn …

US mega-deal would tie together the futures of Saudi Arabia, Israel and Gaza
7 months, 3 weeks ago

US mega-deal would tie together the futures of Saudi Arabia, Israel and Gaza

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. An agreement establishing a firm US military commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security, without the normalization component, is unlikely to pass through the US Congress, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said. Without normalizing the Israeli-Saudi relationship and …

US mega-deal would tie together the futures of Saudi Arabia, Israel and Gaza
7 months, 3 weeks ago

US mega-deal would tie together the futures of Saudi Arabia, Israel and Gaza

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. An agreement establishing a firm US military commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security, without the normalization component, is unlikely to pass through the US Congress, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said. Without normalizing the Israeli-Saudi relationship and …

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat says it won't recognize Israel without a path to a Palestinian state
11 months ago

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat says it won't recognize Israel without a path to a Palestinian state

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says …

Saudi pauses talks on normalisation with Israel: Report
1 year, 2 months ago

Saudi pauses talks on normalisation with Israel: Report

The Hindu  

Saudi Arabia has suspended talks on potentially normalising ties with Israel, a source told AFP on Saturday, amid the war raging between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. "Saudi Arabia has decided to pause discussion on possible normalisation and has informed U.S. officials," a source familiar with the discussions told AFP. On Thursday, Saudi state media reported that Prince …

Saudi Arabia suspending peace deal talks with Israel amid war with Hamas: Report
1 year, 2 months ago

Saudi Arabia suspending peace deal talks with Israel amid war with Hamas: Report

India TV News  

Amid a deadly war in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has reportedly halted US-brokered peace deal talks with the Jewish country, possibly dealing a major diplomatic blow after Hamas launched a brutal attack last week. The United States had demanded Saudi Arabia to publicly condemn the Hamas attack on Israel, but Saudi Foreign Minister Farhan Saud refused, TASS news agency …

A war that ends the Saudi-Israel ‘normalisation’ process
1 year, 2 months ago

A war that ends the Saudi-Israel ‘normalisation’ process

The Hindu  

As Hamas launched its lethal attacks on Israel on October 7, the assault has firmly overturned Israeli efforts, supported by the United States, to promote a normalisation of relations with Arab states without conceding anything to the Palestinians. On September 22, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at his arrogant and triumphalist best as he waved two maps to embellish …

Stand with Palestine, says Saudi Arabia. Will ‘normalisation talks’ with Israel be affected?
1 year, 2 months ago

Stand with Palestine, says Saudi Arabia. Will ‘normalisation talks’ with Israel be affected?

Firstpost  

The United States has conducted a yearslong diplomatic push to get Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalise relations. Saudi Arabia’s state media quoted MBS as telling Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas that he was working to prevent “an expansion” of conflict after the surprise Hamas attack on Israel. He said normalisation in 2020 with three other Arab nations in the so-called …

Biden’s hopes for establishing Israel-Saudi relations could become a casualty of the new Mideast war
1 year, 2 months ago

Biden’s hopes for establishing Israel-Saudi relations could become a casualty of the new Mideast war

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Less than three weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat beside President Joe Biden and marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach — a diplomatic advance that he predicted could lead to lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Biden was equally optimistic, telling Netanyahu during their meeting in New York, …

Saudi delegation visits Palestinian territories as Israel and Saudi Arabia eye normalization
1 year, 2 months ago

Saudi delegation visits Palestinian territories as Israel and Saudi Arabia eye normalization

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

What’s happening with normalising ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel?
1 year, 3 months ago

What’s happening with normalising ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel?

Al Jazeera  

Saudi Arabia willing to normalise relations with Israel in exchange for a US defence pact and civilian nuclear programme. On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told US channel Fox News: “Every day we get closer” to a normalisation deal with Israel. Saudi Arabia has been a big proponent of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions normalisation with …

Saudi crown prince says in rare interview ‘every day we get closer’ to normalization with Israel
1 year, 3 months ago

Saudi crown prince says in rare interview ‘every day we get closer’ to normalization with Israel

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a rare interview with Fox News on Wednesday that negotiations over Israel means the prospects of normalized relations between both countries “get closer” every day, but that treatment of Palestinians remains a “very important” issue to be resolved. Netanyahu’s office said the meeting “mostly dealt with ways to establish an …

Israel-Saudi Arabia ‘normalisation’ deal in reach, Netanyahu tells Biden
1 year, 3 months ago

Israel-Saudi Arabia ‘normalisation’ deal in reach, Netanyahu tells Biden

Al Jazeera  

Meeting comes amid apparent friction between the two leaders over Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan in Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed confidence that a “historic” US-brokered agreement to establish formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia can be reached, as the Israeli prime minister held talks with US President Joe Biden. “I think that under your leadership, Mr President, we …

Hard to bridge gap between Saudi Arabia and Israel
1 year, 3 months ago

Hard to bridge gap between Saudi Arabia and Israel

China Daily  

This photo taken on Aug 16, 2022 shows the White House in Washington, DC, the United States. White House Middle East czar Brett McGurk, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking visited Saudi Arabia on Sunday in a bid to broker a reconciliation between the country and Israel, according …

Israeli delegation makes first open visit to Saudi Arabia
1 year, 3 months ago

Israeli delegation makes first open visit to Saudi Arabia

The Hindu  

An Israeli delegation attended a UNESCO meeting in Riyadh on Monday, marking the country's first publicly announced visit to Saudi Arabia as speculation grows about a potential normalisation of ties. Saudi Arabia, which contains two of Islam's holiest sites, does not recognise Israel and did not join the 2020 U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords where Israel established ties with Gulf countries the …

Israeli foreign minister opens visit to Bahrain. It’s his first to any of Israel’s new Arab allies
1 year, 3 months ago

Israeli foreign minister opens visit to Bahrain. It’s his first to any of Israel’s new Arab allies

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israel’s foreign minister on Sunday opened a visit to Bahrain that comes as the countries mark the third anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. It was the first visit by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to any of the four countries that normalized ties with Israel under the 2020 U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain …

Netanyahu praises 'neighbourly' Saudi Arabia after plane's emergency landing
1 year, 3 months ago

Netanyahu praises 'neighbourly' Saudi Arabia after plane's emergency landing

The Telegraph  

The unexpected landing came amid intense US-led talks on a potential normalisation treaty between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia’s changing approach to Israel Saudi Arabia is gradually opening its airspace to Israel, such as when it allowed President Joe Biden to fly directly from Tel Aviv to Jeddah last year during a regional visit. They reportedly remain reluctant to …

US and Saudi Arabia ‘agree deal’ to restore relations with Israel
1 year, 4 months ago

US and Saudi Arabia ‘agree deal’ to restore relations with Israel

The Telegraph  

The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed on the “broad” outline of an historic normalisation treaty with Israel within a year, American media has reported – although major obstacles remain in striking the deal. US negotiators are seriously considering Saudi Arabia’s requests for a civilian nuclear programme and “iron-clad” security guarantees from Washington in return for normalising ties with …

Saudi Arabia eyes aviation expansion to get in on crucial tourism market
1 year, 4 months ago

Saudi Arabia eyes aviation expansion to get in on crucial tourism market

Al Jazeera  

Making up for lost time, the kingdom is moving to challenge regional players, attract travellers and boost its income. “The government is highly committed to the sector’s development – and it knows that with Saudi Arabia’s incredible and diverse landscapes, tourism could be big,” Phillips told Al Jazeera. But Saudi Arabia’s plans to build over King Khalid International, which has …

Israel prays for ties with Saudi Arabia, Herzog tells US Congress
1 year, 5 months ago

Israel prays for ties with Saudi Arabia, Herzog tells US Congress

Al Jazeera  

Saudi-Israeli normalisation would be a ‘huge sea change’ for the Middle East and the world, Israeli president says. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has lauded the United States’s push to broker formal diplomatic ties between his country and Saudi Arabia, saying that a normalisation agreement would be transformative. “Israel thanks the United States for working towards establishing peaceful relations between Israel …

Saudi Arabia-Israel normalisation difficult but possible: Blinken
1 year, 5 months ago

Saudi Arabia-Israel normalisation difficult but possible: Blinken

Al Jazeera  

Top US diplomat says Washington is ‘very much involved’ in push for formal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Establishing diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel is difficult but possible, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said, reasserting that Washington is pushing to normalise ties between the two countries. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New …

Who gets to do Hajj in Saudi Arabia?
1 year, 5 months ago

Who gets to do Hajj in Saudi Arabia?

Hindustan Times  

The Hajj, a religious pilgrimage for Muslims and one of the largest gatherings of humans on Earth, begins in Saudi Arabia on June 26 and ends July 1. Almost 1.5 million pilgrims are already in Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj. However, there are around 2 billion Muslims around the world and given the numbers involved, it would be impossible …

Yemenis embark on first direct flight to Saudi Arabia since 2016
1 year, 6 months ago

Yemenis embark on first direct flight to Saudi Arabia since 2016

Al Jazeera  

The flight carried Yemeni Muslims heading to Hajj and signals easing tensions between the two countries. The first direct flight between Yemen and Saudi Arabia in nearly seven years has taken more than 270 Yemenis from rebel-held Sanaa to Jeddah, signalling easing tensions between the two countries. The flight by Yemenia – also known as Yemen Airways – took place …

Saudi deal with Iran worries Israel, shakes up Middle East
1 year, 9 months ago

Saudi deal with Iran worries Israel, shakes up Middle East

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — News of the rapprochement between long-time regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran sent shock waves through the Middle East on Saturday and dealt a symbolic blow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the threat posed by Tehran a public diplomacy priority and personal crusade. A normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy …

Saudi Arabia deal with Iran worries Israel, shakes up Middle East | Know Why
1 year, 9 months ago

Saudi Arabia deal with Iran worries Israel, shakes up Middle East | Know Why

India TV News  

Saudi-Arabia-Iran Rapprochement: Iran recently informed that it has reached a deal with Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their respective embassies in the two countries. A normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state, would fulfill Netanyahu's prized goal, reshaping the region and boosting Israel's standing in historic ways. Saudi Arabia's decision to engage …

Saudi Arabia: Hajj pilgrimage returning to pre-COVID levels
1 year, 11 months ago

Saudi Arabia: Hajj pilgrimage returning to pre-COVID levels

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Islam’s annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will return to pre-pandemic levels this year after restrictions saw the annual religious commemoration curtailed over concerns about the coronavirus, authorities say. But in 2020, amid the lockdowns sparked by the pandemic, Saudi Arabia drastically curtailed the hajj with as as few as 1,000 residents of Saudi Arabia …

Analysis: How much closer can Biden bring Saudi Arabia to Israel?
2 years, 5 months ago

Analysis: How much closer can Biden bring Saudi Arabia to Israel?

Al Jazeera  

Riyadh and Tel Aviv have edged closer to full normalisation, but a deal is unlikely during Biden’s trip to Jeddah. “I think that in this sense more steps can be taken following Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, whether it comes to business, tourism, or indirect communication between the two sides.” Looking ahead, if Saudi Arabia gives the go-ahead to other …

Saudi Arabia opens up airspace to all airlines, including Israeli
2 years, 5 months ago

Saudi Arabia opens up airspace to all airlines, including Israeli

Al Jazeera  

Saudi Arabia says it will open its airspace to all air carriers, paving the way for more overflights to and from Israel. Saudi Arabia says it will open its airspace to all air carriers, paving the way for more overflights to and from Israel – a further sign that relations between the two countries are warming. United States President Joe …

Saudi Arabia opens airspace to Israeli flights
2 years, 5 months ago

Saudi Arabia opens airspace to Israeli flights

CNN  

CNN — Saudi Arabia on Friday opened its airspace to all civilian carriers, including all flights to and from Israel, in a step toward normalizing relations between the two nations as US President Joe Biden tours the Middle East. In a statement shared hours before he was due to fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, Biden hailed the kingdom’s …

Israel asks Saudis to let Mecca pilgrims fly in from Tel Aviv
2 years, 5 months ago

Israel asks Saudis to let Mecca pilgrims fly in from Tel Aviv

Al Jazeera  

Israeli official asks Saudi Arabia to admit direct flights from Tel Aviv for Muslim pilgrims ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to the kingdom. Israel’s regional cooperation minister says that he has asked Saudi Arabia to admit direct flights from Tel Aviv for Muslim pilgrims to perform the Hajj, pointing to a possible new accommodation by Riyadh ahead of …

US envoy to combat anti-Semitism to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel
2 years, 6 months ago

US envoy to combat anti-Semitism to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel

Al Jazeera  

Deborah Lipstadt will promote normalisation between Israel and Arab states during her trip, US State Department says. Deborah Lipstadt, the US envoy to combat anti-Semitism, will travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ahead of a visit by President Joe Biden to the region, the State Department has announced. Saudi officials have repeatedly voiced commitment to the …

Israel hopes Biden trip helps tighten ties with Saudi Arabia
2 years, 6 months ago

Israel hopes Biden trip helps tighten ties with Saudi Arabia

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israel is looking to U.S. President Joe Biden’s Mideast trip next month to bolster its efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia, a country with which it does not have official ties, according to Israel’s foreign minister. At a news conference in Jerusalem, Lapid was asked about his expectations from Biden’s expected stop in the kingdom and first …

Israel hopes Biden trip helps improve ties with Saudi Arabia
2 years, 6 months ago

Israel hopes Biden trip helps improve ties with Saudi Arabia

Al Jazeera  

Arab countries have refused to forge ties with Israel, which has illegally occupied the Palestinian territories. Israel’s foreign minister has said that his country was looking to US President Joe Biden’s Middle East trip next month to help improve relations with Saudi Arabia, a country with which it does not have official ties. But he joked that, “Air Force One …

Biden to visit ‘pariah’ Saudi Arabia and Israel next month
2 years, 6 months ago

Biden to visit ‘pariah’ Saudi Arabia and Israel next month

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden confirmed Tuesday that he will visit Saudi Arabia next month for talks with its leaders, a dramatic change in his stance on the kingdom that he pledged to make a “pariah” as a Democratic candidate for the White House. In a brief exchange with reporters Tuesday, Biden bristled when asked about his upcoming visit to …

Biden to visit Saudi Arabia after a stop in Israel, determining it’s time to engage kingdom he once called a ‘pariah’
2 years, 6 months ago

Biden to visit Saudi Arabia after a stop in Israel, determining it’s time to engage kingdom he once called a ‘pariah’

CNN  

CNN — President Joe Biden will visit Saudi Arabia next month, the White House announced Tuesday, a foreign policy trade-off that completes the reversal of his campaign pledge to make the kingdom a “pariah.” The trip, set for mid-July, will also include Biden’s first stop in Israel as President as well as a visit to the Palestinian West Bank. “The …

Trump went around Palestinians to get UAE, Bahrain, Israel accord
3 years, 10 months ago

Trump went around Palestinians to get UAE, Bahrain, Israel accord

Al Jazeera  

Former Trump adviser says strategy was to bypass Palestinians, isolate Iran and build political capital with Gulf states. Robert O’Brien, national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, said the Trump administration sought to build “political capital” with Israel first by moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. “We couldn’t allow the Palestinians …

Saudi Arabia to open air space, land and maritime borders for Qatar with a view to ending Gulf crisis
3 years, 11 months ago

Saudi Arabia to open air space, land and maritime borders for Qatar with a view to ending Gulf crisis

Firstpost  

Dubai: Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar on Monday evening in the first step toward ending a years-long diplomatic crisis that deeply divided US defense partners, frayed societal ties and tore apart a traditionally clubby alliance of Gulf states. Qatar’s only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United …

Saudi Arabia allows Israeli commercial planes to use its airspace
4 years ago

Saudi Arabia allows Israeli commercial planes to use its airspace

Al Jazeera  

Riyadh gives approval night before low-cost Israir due to fly its first planned route to the UAE, using Saudi airspace. Saudi Arabia agreed to let Israeli airliners cross its airspace en route to the United Arab Emirates after talks between Saudi officials and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, news agency Reuters and Israeli media outlets have reported. “This should …

Reports: Israeli PM flew to Saudi Arabia, met crown prince
4 years, 1 month ago

Reports: Israeli PM flew to Saudi Arabia, met crown prince

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israeli media reported Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for a clandestine meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which would mark the first known encounter between senior Israeli and Saudi officials. The Israeli news site Walla, followed quickly by other Hebrew-language media, cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying that Netanyahu and Yossi …

Qatar: Normalisation with Israel undermines Palestinian statehood
4 years, 1 month ago

Qatar: Normalisation with Israel undermines Palestinian statehood

Al Jazeera  

Foreign minister calls for united Arab front ‘to put the interests of the Palestinians to end the occupation’. Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said Arab states that establish ties with Israel undermine efforts for Palestinian statehood. In recent months, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan agreed to formal relations in deals brokered by United …

Honeymoon over? Saudi Arabia-US ties face reset with Joe Biden win
4 years, 2 months ago

Honeymoon over? Saudi Arabia-US ties face reset with Joe Biden win

Live Mint  

Saudi Arabia's crown prince enjoyed a near free pass under his personal relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, but the kingdom's brazen young leader will have to t Riyadh's human rights record, with the brutal 2018 murder of Washington Post Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and detention of women activists, will be a prime point of friction with a Joe Biden …

Pompeo urges Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel
4 years, 2 months ago

Pompeo urges Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel

Al Jazeera  

The US is urging more Gulf countries to strike similar accords with Israel, following UAE and Bahrain agreements. United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged Saudi Arabia to recognise Israel, in what would be a strategic boost for the Jewish state amid normalisation with two other Gulf Arab kingdoms. Bahrain, which tightly coordinates its foreign policy with Saudi …

Road to Saudi ties with Israel being paved, cautiously
4 years, 3 months ago

Road to Saudi ties with Israel being paved, cautiously

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia, the most powerful Arab nation and home to Islam’s holiest sites, has made its official position on the region’s longest-running conflict clear: Full ties between the kingdom and Israel can only happen when peace is reached with the Palestinians. “It’s no secret there’s a generational conflict,” said New York-based Rabbi Marc Schneier, who …

Israel ‘normalisation’: Is Saudi Arabia softening its stance?
4 years, 3 months ago

Israel ‘normalisation’: Is Saudi Arabia softening its stance?

Al Jazeera  

After deals with UAE and Bahrain, there are signs Saudi Arabia is preparing its people to warm to Israel. But the big diplomatic prize for an Israel deal would be Saudi Arabia, whose king is the Custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, and rules the world’s largest oil exporter. ‘Test public reaction’ Marc Owen Jones, an academic from the Institute of …

Israel, UAE and Bahrain sign US-brokered normalisation deals
4 years, 3 months ago

Israel, UAE and Bahrain sign US-brokered normalisation deals

Al Jazeera  

Donald Trump hosts Middle East leaders at White House as Palestinians condemn signing of accords as ‘a sad day’. United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday hosted a White House ceremony capping a dramatic month when first the UAE and then Bahrain agreed to normalise ties without a resolution of Israel’s decades-old conflict with the Palestinians, who have condemned the …

Discover Related