Meeting President Biden, PM Netanyahu Pede Realizes Peace Between Israel And Saudi Arabia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with US President Joe Biden during a meeting on New York Twitter @netanyahu

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that Israeli-Saudi Arabian peace can be achieved through cooperation with United States President Joe Biden, ending the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Instead of meeting at the White House, the two leaders met at a hotel in New York, on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly.

"I have had an honest and constructive conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu," wrote President Biden on Twitter, as quoted on September 21.

"We discussed several issues, ranging from the progress we have made in integration efforts to the viability of a two-state solution, upholding democratic values ​​and fighting Iran," he continued.

One of the discussions that was highlighted in this meeting was efforts to bring about peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

"We share the same vision, historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a step towards ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, and fostering harmony between the Islamic world and the Jewish state," PM Netanyahu wrote on Twitter.

🇮🇱🇺🇸 Today, I had the honor of meeting with US President Joe Biden, a friend for over 40 years. We discussed the immense potential of an economic corridor linking Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, with Israel as a pivotal hub.

We share a vision: a historic peace between Israel… pic.twitter.com/FsEtp5Sk8z

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 20, 2023

President Biden and PM Netanyahu spent some time meeting one-on-one without advisors, a senior official in President Biden's administration said.

"I think under your leadership, President, we can achieve historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia," said PM Netanyahu, as reported by Reuters, September 21.

PM Netanyahu said they could work together to make history.

“Together,” President Biden repeated, signaling his commitment to normalization efforts, which he said would have been unthinkable years ago.

Meanwhile, a senior official in President Biden's administration told reporters after the meeting there was an understanding that some concessions to the Palestinians would have to be part of any deal, but did not say what those concessions would be.

The official said a normalization deal was still a long way off and all the leaders involved would have to do "some very difficult things" to reach an agreement.

"There are several ways to travel before we get there," the official said.

Separately, Washington Institute for Near East Policy Middle East analyst David Makovsky noted in a post on X that the meeting came "265 days after Netanyahu took office, the longest gap since 1964."

"The huge potential of the Saudi deal has left Biden and Netanyahu with no choice but to meet despite their differences," he wrote.