White House officials have been holding meetings on Capitol Hill in recent weeks with a small but influential group of Democratic senators, updating them on the details of ongoing diplomatic negotiations with Israeli and Saudi leaders, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
The discussions are a part of an ongoing effort to quietly build support for any Senate vote that would be needed to cement a potential pact, according to the report.
Specifically, American officials have said that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is demanding a new security relationship with the United States as part of any deal to normalize relations with Israel. The exact terms of the relationship are still being discussed, but any new treaty with Saudi Arabia would require support from two-thirds of the Senate.
According to The Times, the effort is being led by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and involves other senior White House officials. It has focused primarily on members of President Biden’s own party, given how fiercely top Democrats have criticized Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince.
Several officials familiar with the discussions said the meetings are not part of an overt White House pressure campaign to support any eventual deal, but rather a way to keep lawmakers informed so they do not feel blindsided by any proposal that makes its way to Congress. Thus far, officials said that the main substance of the discussions has been to inform lawmakers about the Saudis demands and give lawmakers a forum to voice their thoughts.
The report said Sullivan and the other senior White House officials have met privately with some senators, including Senator Chuck Schumer, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Christopher. Murphy of Connecticut, who has been one of the chamber’s most vocal critics of Saudi Arabia.
Israel has been for years rumored to have behind-the-scenes ties with Saudi Arabia, but the Saudis have vehemently denied those rumors.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear that his goal is to achieve a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia that would “effectively end the Arab-Israeli conflict.”
Despite Saudi denials of any contacts with Israel, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed on the broad outlines of a deal for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel in exchange for concessions to the Palestinian Arabs.
Saudi officials have repeatedly said that a Palestinian state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital is a prerequisite for Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel.
Biden notably visited Saudi Arabia a year ago, where he announced two agreements considered to be significant steps on the path toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia: A deal concerning the removal of multinational forces from the Red Sea islands of Sanafir and Tiran, and the opening of Saudi airspace for all Israeli flights.