Ostensibly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waited for the moment that took place this week at the Intercontinental Hotel in New York for more than eight months. Since January and Yariv Levin's press conference, his path has been paved with potholes, difficulties, refusal, chants and shouts of "shame" in Israel and around the world.
All these were set aside in favor of the press conference attended by US President Biden and the Prime Minister, who announced that an agreement with Saudi Arabia was imminent. The words were measured, the content was dramatic, almost imaginary when it came to the balance of power in the Middle East.Netanyahu waited for this moment for many years. An Israeli-Saudi agreement is, of course, something the prime minister would have jumped at at any time, but as fate would have it, the process came at a perfect political time for him. He created the perfect political storm that would enable him to make a difference in the face of local storms.
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Netanyahu's office assessed that the trip to America holds enormous potential and the possibility of reaping achievements in all fields. The results exceeded the most optimistic forecasts. The main course was served in the Saudi style, but the appetizers and intermediate dishes were critical for Israel and Netanyahu personally. The first goal was economic.
The meeting with Elon Musk – a man whose power, prestige, achievements and influence are no less important than those of most heads of state – is no less important than diplomatic meetings. The conversation that received millions of views around the world was fascinating, but the viewing is also for practical steps. All the details have not been finalized and there is a long way to go, but it is not inconceivable that in the future Musk will open branches and centers for his extensive business in Israel, in addition to cooperation in the development of artificial intelligence.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Elon Musk meeting, photo: Avi Ohayon GPO
Deflect the ship's rudder
A day later, Netanyahu met with Turkish President Erdogan. Israel's gas discoveries and geopolitical changes in Europe and the Middle East have changed the direction of relations, which have seen mostly downturns in recent years. Ankara has not become a lover of Zion, but it is blowing a spirit of cooperation and economic development that will intensify. It is possible that this development will include laying an Israeli-Turkish gas pipeline, which will strengthen Israel's security and generate considerable revenues.
Netanyahu takes this very seriously and intends to use these economic stimulants to combat the rising cost of living. An issue that has become a central issue in the Prime Minister's Office and has been marked as a critical goal.
Netanyahu meets Erdogan in New York || Photo: Roy Avraham /GPO, Sound: Yehezkel Kandil /GPO
The second leg of the visit was security. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's warm embrace of Mossad chief Dadi Barnea, who joined his meeting with Netanyahu, had hidden meanings. Due to Russia's presence in the region, Israel is acting cautiously regarding the war in Ukraine. However, it now shifts the ship's rudder several degrees. While Netanyahu is not expected to embark on a hopping tour between Kyiv and Moscow that will bring a message of peace, the results of the meeting with Zelensky opened the door to the possibility that Israel will play a more significant role in cooling tensions and conveying messages between the warring countries, which will also allow freedom of action in the face of challenges on the northern border.
In between, Netanyahu managed to meet with the German chancellor and South Korean president, agree on the return of the Paraguayan embassy to Jerusalem, and push for more meetings with world leaders. Still, the jewel in the crown is the Saudi diamond. A few hours after the Biden-Netanyahu statement, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave an official stamp. No one, of course, was surprised by what the Saudi prince said to Fox News, but their power and clarity proved how close an agreement is. "This could be the most important agreement since the Cold War," "Israel is not an enemy, it is a potential ally," "Every day that passes we are getting closer" - these are just some of bin Salman's statements in this historic interview.
Netanyahu meets with German President Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the rally, Photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO
There is no need to elaborate on the potential of such an agreement, if indeed it is eventually signed. The political impact will be enormous. When it comes to legal reform, Netanyahu made his intentions clear during the diplomatic journey. If no agreement is reached, the prime minister intends to independently adopt the second president's outline, which was exposed and torpedoed in recent weeks. That would include some change in the Judicial Selection Committee and a months-long legislative freeze to focus on the momentum created this week in the United States.
Gantz's request
The cost of living, Iran, the security situation and other issues will be at the center of the action. Sources in the coalition believe that this will come at a price, but it will not bring down the government, certainly if the expected achievements are shortened and the Saudi adventure ends in the White House, with no intolerable concessions planned for the Palestinians at the moment. As far as the composition of the government is concerned, a political source said this week that no such change is expected in order to ratify an agreement with Saudi Arabia. This is a cornerstone of the Likud's conduct.
In the Lapid sector, the chances are slim, but when it comes to Gantz, who is known to always be late to get on the right train, things may develop in a different direction. In the meantime, Gantz is basking in the polls and has not gotten into the heart of the work.
Impressed by the polls, Chairman of the State Camp Benny Gantz, Photo: Noga Melsa
However, people close to the matter say that he asked that direct and indirect messages coming out of the Supreme Court or from the US president's circle towards the chairman of the state camp would demand of him and even force him to enter the government. This is to ensure the signing of the agreement. These messages are heard from his associates, and as is well known, Gantz may show Olympic flexibility and join the government in its coalition composition, with changes of one kind or another.
One thing is clear: Netanyahu and the Likud have no intention of changing the composition of the coalition itself. It is the coalition of 64 that will bring about the new peace in the Middle East. Its constituents also know that the peace Netanyahu brings will be peace with security and peace, out of the importance and strength of settlement in Judea and Samaria. However, an agreement with an enemy state like Saudi Arabia is closer than agreements between Jewish and Israeli brothers.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit, photo: AP
Either way, for Netanyahu, it was a successful diplomatic campaign. Qatar, which is supposed to carry the government forward, is full of the baggage of peace, economic cooperation and political fruit. The short window before entering an American election year dictates that a solution to the question of the agreement with Saudi Arabia will be provided soon. Peace may break out suddenly, change the picture and move Israel from a state of internal tension and a nightmare of polarization to a state of "we were dreamers."
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