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WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday encouraged Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel, in what would be a massive boost for the Jewish state amid the normalization of two other Arab Gulf kingdoms.
Bahrain, which closely coordinates its foreign policy with Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates signed the so-called Abraham Accords with Israel on September 15 at the White House.
Meeting with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pompeo said that the agreement “contributed greatly to our shared goals for regional peace and security.” “They reflect a changing dynamic in the region, one in which countries correctly recognize the need for regional cooperation to counter Iranian influence and generate prosperity,” Pompeo said.
“We hope that Saudi Arabia will also consider normalizing its relations. We want to thank them for the help they have had so far in the success of the Abrahamic Accords. “
President Donald Trump has highlighted Arab normalization with Israel as a major achievement, as he seeks another term in the Nov. 3 elections, with his evangelical base of Christan broadly supporting the Jewish state.
Trump said last month that he also expected Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel “at the right time.” The Persian Gulf kingdoms have found common cause with Trump on his hard line against regional rival Iran.
The government, in turn, has been scant in raising human rights concerns with Arab allies, including over the murder two years ago of American writer Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate.
Pompeo said the United States “supports a robust arms sales program to Saudi Arabia,” and said the effort helps “protect its citizens and maintain American jobs.” In a controversial move that sparked an internal investigation, Pompeo last year cited a crisis with Iran to bypass Congress and advance $ 8 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Lawmakers from all parties are dismayed by the high number of civilian casualties, including the destruction of schools and hospitals, in Saudi Arabia’s campaign against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Pompeo also announced that the United States had acquired a 26-acre (10.5-hectare) site to build a new US embassy in Riyadh.
In addition to work on American missions in Jeddah and Dhahran, the United States is spending more than a billion dollars on diplomatic construction in the kingdom, Pompeo said.
Posted in Dawn, Oct 15, 2020
