“The work that Saudi Arabia, the United States have been doing together in terms of our own agreements, I think, is potentially very close to completion,” Blinken told an audience at the World Economic Forum, or WEF.
He added the two nations have done intensive work together over the last month on Israeli-Saudi normalization.
Blinken disclosed that he was scheduled to be in Saudi Arabia and Israel on October 10 last year to focus specifically on the Palestinian part of the normalization deal because that is an essential component. But it did not happen because of the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas on Israel.
“In order to move forward with normalization, two things will be required: Calm in Gaza and a credible pathway to a Palestinian state,” said Blinken.
U.S. officials have said creating a pathway to a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel is key to lasting peace and security in the Middle East and to Israel's integration in the region.
Blinken is holding talks with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman later Monday, before traveling to Jordan and Israel, where he is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.
The Biden administration continues to work on a potential agreement that could lead to normalization of Saudi relations with Israel, even as some officials and analysts consider it a remote possibility.
Last week, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he plans to return to Saudi Arabia soon. His agenda includes discussions with Saudi officials whether a deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia can be reached. Sullivan had earlier postponed his trip to the Middle East due to a cracked rib.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the two-state solution and the return of the Palestinian Authority to control Gaza, demands that are widely supported by the international community.
The Saudis have demanded, as a prerequisite, to see an Israeli commitment to the two-state solution.
"If Netanyahu's positions do not change, he will probably not be able to deliver normalization with Saudi Arabia. It may be that a U.S.-Saudi offer for such a normalization will be publicly made, so when Israelis go to the polls, they can take this option into account," Nimrod Goren, a senior fellow for Israeli affairs at the Middle East Institute, told VOA in an email.
Humanitarian assistance
Speaking at a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh earlier Monday, Blinken said the best way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is for there to be a cease-fire.
“We have seen measurable progress in the last few weeks, including the opening of new crossings and increased volume of aid delivery to Gaza and within Gaza, and the building of the U.S. maritime corridor, which will open in the coming weeks. But it is not enough. We still need to get more aid in and around Gaza,” Blinken said.
Blinken is visiting Riyadh, Amman, and Tel Aviv from April 28 to May 1 — his seventh diplomatic mission to the Middle East region since the Israel-Hamas war began more than six months ago.
Blinken will focus on the effort to secure a cease-fire in Gaza that would see the release of hostages and ensure humanitarian aid into the enclave continues or increases, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement.
Also Sunday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told ABC’s “This Week” show that the United States is continuing to push for a six-week cease-fire in the nearly seven-month war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants.
Also Sunday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told ABC’s “This Week” show that the United States is continuing to push for a six-week cease-fire in the nearly seven-month war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants.
The cease-fire talks have been going on for months, and despite periodic signals that a deal might be close, Kirby gave no indication of new progress in the discussions.
He said Israel has assured U.S. officials it will not send ground troops into the southern Gaza city of Rafah without fully hearing U.S. concerns that such an attack would endanger the lives of more than 1 million Palestinians who are sheltering there.
Kirby said that a makeshift Mediterranean Sea pier being constructed on the Gaza shoreline could be completed in two or three weeks so that more humanitarian aid can be transported into the narrow territory to help feed famished Palestinians.
Ken Bredemeier and Chris Hannas contributed to this report.
