The Biden-Blinken Initiative: Balancing Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestine in the Middle East”.

The US aims to establish a foothold in Saudi Arabia through an advanced defense agreement, with the goal of reducing Chinese technology in the kingdom. However, achieving this deal may face opposition from Congress and skepticism from many Americans who see the move as favoring Saudi Arabia at Israel’s expense. Despite this, President Biden is determined to implement the agreement in the near future as a major political achievement and foreign policy milestone before the presidential elections.

Netanyahu has been adamant about not agreeing to any conditions for ending the war in Gaza without “total victory” over Hamas. Israel has emphasized that it will not give up on its goal of a large-scale operation in Rafah, even if it means going against international pressure and without a hostage deal. Yesterday, Blinken reiterated to Netanyahu that the US opposes any large-scale operation in Rafah.

In response to Netanyahu’s unwillingness to join the move, the US and Saudi Arabia have prepared a “Plan B” for their agreement that includes establishing a civilian nuclear program in their region but with no immediate plans for uranium enrichment on Saudi soil. This move could be seen as an attempt to appease Israel while maintaining close relations with Saudi Arabia.

According to reports, Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Riyadh this week, while Abu Mazen also met with him separately. The Palestinian ambassador stated that the crown prince told Abu Mazen that they are committed to supporting Palestine and will not abandon them. It remains unclear how successful these efforts will be in convincing Netanyahu to join the move or what consequences may arise if Israel continues to resist calls for peace with Palestine.