(PatriotsUnited.org) – The United States is apparently poised to secure a major defense treaty with Saudi Arabia. The reported deal could ensure U.S. defense promises for the oil superpower, while the Saudi government would be expected to officially normalize ties with Israel.
Riyadh had allegedly been gearing up prior to the Hamas attack on Southern Israel on October 7th 2023, which has led to a major conflict between Israel and Gaza. This latest deal is also expected to be p[art of a wider strategy by the Biden administration to promote a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has been heading up talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the matter in recent weeks.
Whether this fresh defense obligation pact will go ahead possibly rests on whether Jerusalem greenlights a ceasefire, along with a route toward Palestinian nationhood. As it stands, Israeli polling suggests that most of its voters do not currently back a Palestinian state on its borders. Various Palestinian leaders have rejected multiple offers of statehood in the past as they laid claim to all the land that is currently held by Israel. However, current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long pushed for closer ties with Saudi Arabia, including formal diplomatic recognition. Given widespread controversy over his government’s handling of national security and the war in Gaza, it is possible that he will want to pursue a more cautious approach.
This diplomatic push is a significant change from President Joe Biden’s previous remarks on Saudi Arabia. Throughout his presidential campaign back in 2020 the former Vice President slammed Saudi leaders over extensive evidence that they ordered the butchering of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi and its other human rights abuses. On the other hand, many U.S. security specialists see Saudi Arabia as a critical and unavoidable buffer against Iran.
The proposed Strategic Alliance Agreement would be the first of its kind since the U.S. extended a similar security guarantee to Japan in 1960. Modeled loosely on this mutual-defense pact, the treaty is geared toward ramping-up U.S.-Saudi military partnership against common threats such as Tehran and its terror proxies. Finalizing the agreement could be difficult in Washington, as it would need a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate.
Alongside the reported defense agreement, U.S. officials are drafting a Defense Cooperation Agreement which would bolster arms sales and military collaboration with Riyadh. Such a deal could possibly be secured on the U.S. side by an executive order.
Copyright 2024, PatriotsUnited.org
