Israel’s Netanyahu seeks Saudi ties, but is normalization within reach?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has returned to office with the ambitious goal of normalization with Saudi Arabia, a once-unthinkable rapprochement between two of America’s closest partners in the Middle East.   

The prime minister’s office said that deepening the Abraham Accords “with emphasis on a breakthrough regarding Saudi Arabia” was on the agenda during Netanyahu’s meeting on Thursday with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also likely to address the regional normalization agreements during his expected visit to Israel later this month.

The Biden administration has sought to build on the historic normalization deals struck under former President Donald Trump, which established formal diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan. 

Saudi Arabia refrained from criticizing the agreements, and it's widely believed the tiny Gulf state of Bahrain would not have joined without the kingdom’s approval. The Sunni Arab heavyweight, however, has downplayed reports that it could be next.