The head of American diplomacy Mike Pompeo tried Wednesday, October 14 to convince Saudi Arabia to "
normalize its relations
" with Israel like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
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After receiving his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal ben Farhane, the secretary of state told the press that he had referred to the historic agreements between the Hebrew state and these two Arab Gulf countries signed in mid-September under the aegis of the president American Donald Trump.
"
They greatly contribute to our common objectives of regional peace and security
", he pleaded.
"
They reflect the changes underway in the dynamics of the region,
" "
these countries rightly recognize the need for regional cooperation to counter Iranian influence and promote prosperity,
" he added.
"
We hope that Saudi Arabia will consider normalizing its relations too,
" he said.
Donald Trump's government is pushing
At his side, the Saudi minister did not, however, raise this subject.
He confined himself to mentioning "
common threats, including the persistent destabilizing behavior of the Iranian regime
".
A recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia would be a real turning point in the Middle East.
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- Israel and United Arab Emirates sign "historic peace deal" announced by Donald Trump
Donald Trump's government has been pushing for this for many months, but the kingdom has made it clear that it will not follow the example of the Emirates and Bahrain, which have broken an "
Arab consensus
" conditioning any normalization with the Hebrew state to a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The US president, candidate for a second term on November 3, however said he expected Riyadh to recognize Israel in turn "
when the time comes
".
The two ministers opened in Washington a "
strategic dialogue
" between their countries.
Despite criticism from much of the American political class of the proximity between the Trump administration and the Saudi leadership, Mike Pompeo has multiplied the praises of the rich oil Gulf country.
“
Saudi Arabia is a stabilizing force in the region,
” he said, as its role in the war in Yemen is often criticized.
He also reiterated his support for "
a solid program of arms sales to Saudi Arabia
" to "
help the kingdom protect its citizens and support American jobs
", while these exports are sometimes contested by the Congress of United States.