Kushner says Saudi normalisation with Israel 'inevitable' after Riyadh's 'role in Morocco agreement'
Saudi Arabia will 'inevitably' establish ties with Israel, Jared Kushner said.
2 min read
Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman reportedly met with Israel's Netanyahu last month [Getty]
Saudi Arabia normalising ties with Israel is an "inevitability", senior presidential advisor Jared Kushner said on Thursday.
"Israel and Saudi Arabia coming together and having full normalisation at this point is an inevitability, but the timeframe… is something that has to be worked out," Kushner told reporters after his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, announced Morocco had become the fourth Arab nation this year to agree to normalise ties with Israel.
That agreement, which includes US recognition of Moroccan sovereignity over the Western Sahara, was made in collaboration with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Rabat spent a year in negotiations with Kushner to hammer out a deal due to the widespread unpopularity of normalisation in Morocco and across the Arab world, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The secret talks also involved Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Andre Azoulay, a Moroccan Jewish senior advisor to King Mohammed VI.
Bin Salman, widely known by his initials MbS, also took part in the discussions, influencing Morocco's decision to normalise ties, a Moroccan palace advisor told Yedioth Ahronoth.
The crown prince has a "list of other Arab and Muslim countries" that are willing to normalise ties with Israel, the advisor said.
These countries reportedly include Djibouti, Indonesia, Mali and Pakistan. Oman is also widely expected to be the next Arab nation to normalise with Israel.
Once "the circle is complete" and a host of nations have established relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia will itself normalise ties, the palace advisor explained.
Saudi normalisation also depends upon incoming President Joe Biden's policy towards Iran, Israeli intelligence chief Yossi Cohen said on Friday.
Bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly met in secret last month.
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"Israel and Saudi Arabia coming together and having full normalisation at this point is an inevitability, but the timeframe… is something that has to be worked out," Kushner told reporters after his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, announced Morocco had become the fourth Arab nation this year to agree to normalise ties with Israel.
That agreement, which includes US recognition of Moroccan sovereignity over the Western Sahara, was made in collaboration with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Rabat spent a year in negotiations with Kushner to hammer out a deal due to the widespread unpopularity of normalisation in Morocco and across the Arab world, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The secret talks also involved Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Andre Azoulay, a Moroccan Jewish senior advisor to King Mohammed VI.
Bin Salman, widely known by his initials MbS, also took part in the discussions, influencing Morocco's decision to normalise ties, a Moroccan palace advisor told Yedioth Ahronoth.
The crown prince has a "list of other Arab and Muslim countries" that are willing to normalise ties with Israel, the advisor said.
These countries reportedly include Djibouti, Indonesia, Mali and Pakistan. Oman is also widely expected to be the next Arab nation to normalise with Israel.
Once "the circle is complete" and a host of nations have established relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia will itself normalise ties, the palace advisor explained.
Saudi normalisation also depends upon incoming President Joe Biden's policy towards Iran, Israeli intelligence chief Yossi Cohen said on Friday.
Bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly met in secret last month.
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