Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that he is very optimistic that Israel and Saudi Arabia will normalize ties before March 2024, reported “The Jerusalem Post“.
This news originated from a briefing on Sunday during which Cohen said that Israel is interested in advancing a peace agreement with the nation, while adding that this agreement is attainable and that the Saudis are interested in pursuing this end result, as well.
The Biden administration is the main facilitator through which this objective would be attained, added the foreign ministry.
An agreement with the Saudis will encompass additional countries and will not be referred to as the “Abraham Accords,” unlike the ties which characterize those between Israel, the U.A.E. and Bahrain, according to Cohen.
The foreign minister stated that the implementation date is at the discretion of U.S. President Joe Biden, as its relevancy and timing hinge upon his administration’s reelection campaign platform.
Cohen asserted that the Negev Forum’s convening of foreign ministers–which includes the U.S., Israel, Morocco, and all other Arab countries who have relations with Israel–with the exception of Jordan–has been postponed but not canceled.
“The reason for the postponement is the [Israeli] decision to expand construction in Judea and Samaria,” Cohen admitted.
Cohen asserted that despite Morocco’s indefinite postponement of the meeting, Rabat-Jerusalem ties remain positive.