According to Ghaith al-Omari, former advisor to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab states will remain an 'aspiration' unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays out a credible pathway for Palestinian statehood. Al-Omari, who is also a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, highlighted the importance of Israel presenting a clear plan for Palestinian statehood to move forward with Arab states like Saudi Arabia.
During his recent address to Congress, Netanyahu proposed the establishment of a new alliance called the 'Abraham Alliance,' which he described as a natural extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords. However, Al-Omari emphasized that Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, are eager to normalize relations with Israel but are looking for a concrete pathway to Palestinian statehood as a prerequisite.
Al-Omari shared insights from his conversations with Saudi officials, indicating that they are interested in not only security alliances but also in establishing civilian and diplomatic ties with Israel. The desire for a comprehensive approach that includes various aspects of cooperation underscores the complexity of the situation and the need for a holistic strategy.
Notably, Netanyahu's speech did not address the issue of a pathway to Palestinian statehood, raising concerns about the lack of clarity on this crucial aspect. Al-Omari's observations shed light on the expectations of Arab states regarding the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a key factor in advancing regional normalization efforts.
