In an article published in “The New York Times” on July 27th, Thomas L. Friedman said that U.S. President Joe Biden is considering a major Middle East Agreement. According to Friedman’s report, the agreement envisions establishing a permanent and official diplomatic relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia. In pursuit of this goal, Biden sent National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to Jeddah to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during his trip to Saudi Arabia that began on Thursday. Biden’s Middle East Special Envoy Brett McGurk and Senior Advisor for Energy and Infrastructure Amos Hochstein are also accompanying him on the trip.
In Biden’s plan, alongside comprehensive security guarantees for Saudi Arabia, there is also the provision for access to nuclear technology. According to Friedman, the agreement is expected to restrict Saudi-China relations and will be a game-changer even larger than the “Camp David Accords” between the Arab world and Israel. The “Camp David Accords” were signed between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1978 after days of secret negotiations under the auspices of the United States. In exchange for this agreement, which the Palestinians consider a “betrayal,” the U.S. provides Egypt with $1.3 billion annually.
The U.S. wants to back China into a corner, while Beijing is trying to break free from the American grip through diplomatic efforts to expand its sphere of influence. China’s mediation attempts in the Middle East, where it obtains nearly half of its oil supply, are making the U.S. uneasy.
Meanwhile, towards the end of the year, the annual meeting of the “China-Israel Innovation Collaboration Joint Committee” will be held in Beijing. Netanyahu has been invited to the meeting in Beijing. According to China hawks in the U.S., Netanyahu’s visit to Beijing would be seen as poking America’s eye. However, it remains uncertain whether Netanyahu will ultimately go to Beijing.
