Baby Steps
With the success of the Abraham Accords, the hope that a major piece of the program would be peace with Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in an interview with Elaph, an Arabic News outlet often used “as a conduit for public messaging between Riyadh and Jerusalem, if Israel has to offer gestures to the Palestinians to conclude a deal with the Saudis, it will find a way to get it done. The Palestinians will not be an obstacle to peace.” Would talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia even be possible?
David Weinberg in his article today in ‘Israel Unwired’ writes, “My sense is that the chances for a deal are high, the risks of a deal are manageable, and the value of a deal is overwhelming.” Both countries have “a chance to make history, to end the Saudi-led boycott of Israel (and to consequently further wedge the Palestinians into a situation where Willy-nilly, they will have to compromise with Israel, inshallah). so be it.”
Inshallah indeed, “if God wills it,” is the key to progress and the achievement of stronger ties and relations between Israel and the Saudis. Important developments can come from ‘baby steps.’ May it be so in this case.
(Source: Lazar Berman; Times of Israel (TOI))
