The head of US diplomacy spent nearly an hour in an early morning meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the royal residence in the Riyadh area, a US official said.
A. Blinken, when asked about the meeting, said it was very productive.
Blinken made the trip to the region after Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group in the Gaza Strip, launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, invading its territory and carrying out rocket attacks, and Israel retaliated with strikes on the Gaza Strip.
More than 1.3 thousand people died in Israel. people, including civilians. Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip claimed more than 2,300 lives. lives of people, including several hundred children.
Before this war, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia spoke of the progress of US-led diplomacy to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
In the wake of the violence, Saudi Arabia halted the process, and Blinken said the breakdown in efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel may have partly fueled the Hamas attack.
The kingdom is home to two of Islam’s holiest sites, so its recognition would be historic for Israel, which normalized relations with three other Arab states in 2020.
Saudi Arabia, which like Israel has strained relations with Iran, has sought security guarantees from the United States, its longtime partner and oil buyer.
However, Prince Mohammed is highly controversial in the United States, where intelligence linked him to the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who lived in the United States.
Saudi authorities deny the claim.
President Joe Biden, who once vowed to make the kingdom a pariah, drew protests at home after a visit to Saudi Arabia last year in which he exchanged friendly fists with Prince Mohammed.
Later on Sunday, Blinken will travel to Egypt, the sixth Arab country he will visit in an effort to put pressure on Hamas and prevent the spread of the war.
Egypt is the main mediator between Israel and Hamas, and US officials say Cairo is working on a deal that would allow US citizens to leave the Gaza Strip. But on Saturday, Hamas blocked their movement to the only Rafah border crossing.
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#Blinken #met #heir #throne #Saudi #Arabia
**Interview with Dr. Sarah Jameson, Middle East Affairs Analyst**
**Editor**: Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Jameson. There’s been a lot of talk recently about Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Can you give us some background on why this meeting took place?
**Dr. Jameson**: Certainly. Secretary Blinken’s visit to Saudi Arabia occurred against the backdrop of escalating violence following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. This meeting was crucial, especially considering the potential implications for regional stability and U.S.-Saudi relations.
**Editor**: Blinken described the meeting as “very productive.” What specific topics do you think were most important during their discussion?
**Dr. Jameson**: I believe they likely discussed several key issues: the immediate response to the violence sparked by Hamas, the humanitarian crisis developing in Gaza, and the future of U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The recent attacks might have severely impacted this diplomatic process, which was gaining momentum prior to the conflict.
**Editor**: You’re mentioning the normalization of relations. What was the significance of that process for both Saudi Arabia and Israel before this conflict?
**Dr. Jameson**: Normalizing relations would have marked a significant shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics. For Saudi Arabia, it would have solidified its role as a leading regional power and fostered greater cooperation with the West. For Israel, recognizing Saudi Arabia would represent a historic breakthrough, given its status as home to Islam’s holy sites. This shift could have broader implications for peace in the region.
**Editor**: After the violence erupted, we saw Saudi Arabia halt the normalization process. How could this impact their regional influence?
**Dr. Jameson**: It puts Saudi Arabia in a complex position. On one hand, they have to respond to domestic and regional pressures, especially given the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. On the other hand, they still want to maintain a partnership with the U.S. If they continue to step back from normalization, they might risk losing strategic leverage and influence, not just with Israel, but in broader Arab-Israeli relations.
**Editor**: Lastly, Blinken suggested that the breakdown in talks could have contributed to Hamas’s actions. How is that perceived in diplomatic circles?
**Dr. Jameson**: That viewpoint is becoming more prevalent. The failure of diplomatic efforts might create an environment where extremist groups feel emboldened to act, believing that they can capitalize on political unrest. In diplomatic circles, the emphasis is often on proactive engagement to prevent such escalations, particularly in sensitive moments like these.
**Editor**: Thank you, Dr. Jameson, for your insights on this critical situation. It’s clear that the aftermath of this violence will have lasting effects on regional diplomacy.
**Dr. Jameson**: Thank you for having me. It’s important that we continue to monitor these developments closely.
