In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was pleased to hear optimistic voices from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about normalization efforts between the two countries.
Netanyahu presents map of peace in the Middle East \\ Reuters
"I was happy to hear what he had to say, I think that with each passing day we are getting closer to peace," Netanyahu said. Bin Salman referred to the potential agreement between the two countries, saying it was "the biggest agreement in history since the end of the Cold War." He added: "If we reach a breakthrough in which the Palestinians get what they need and bring calm to the region, we will work with those who need it."
"The biggest agreement in history." Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman, photo: AFP
In his speech to the UN General Assembly last night, Netanyahu said that the Palestinians should be part of the peace process, but they should not have veto power over it. "The reason we didn't have a peace agreement with any country for 25 years after agreeing with Jordan and Egypt is because every time we were told that first we had to realize the will of the Palestinians," Netanyahu said in an interview. "We were asked to make peace with the Palestinians, but there is one problem - the Palestinians do not want to make peace."
"A New Middle East". Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the UN, photo: screenshot
"They don't want peace and they don't want to live in a state alongside Israel, they want a state instead of Israel. So it got us nowhere," he said.
Regarding the Abraham Accords, he said: "There is no doubt that they were a new dawn of peace. But I believe that a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia would be a more dramatic breakthrough. A peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia will create a new Middle East."
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