Saudi leadership offers Israel a chance
Open declarations alongside discreet talks indicate that Saudi Arabia is ready to engage with Israel, in parallel with a two-state solution process.
Is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the big change-maker for his country and the region? He certainly has the ambitions to reflect and work on major reforms.
A senior US diplomat in Tel Aviv told Al-Monitor that both the White House and the State Department were highly impressed with the young guest when he visited the United States in mid-March.
Mohammed is very different from previous Saudi leaders. He talked to US President Donald Trump about modernizing and moderating Saudi Arabia. He sees Iran as his country’s archenemy, together with the Muslim Brotherhood and Sunni and Shiite terror organizations. On these security issues, he found common ground with Trump. The alliance with the United States is of prime interest to his strategy, and he keeps in regular contact with the president’s son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner.
The crown prince is opposed to the Iran nuclear deal and would support any decision on the matter Trump makes in May.
