Abraham Accords

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen attends an event at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, May 17, 2023. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

June 26, 2023, 1:07 am

Foreign minister says Israel ‘very optimistic’ on normalization deal with Saudis

Eli Cohen notes ‘window of opportunity’ for deal before March 2024, after which US likely to focus more on presidential election cycle

By ToI Staff and Jacob Magid

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives June 16, 2023 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

June 19, 2023, 8:55 am

Report: Israel to back Saudi bid to host key confab, send delegate to campaign event

Amid US pressure to move toward normalization, Jerusalem said set to back Riyadh’s push to be the site of 2030 World Fair’s Expo; representative invited to Monday’s Paris event

By ToI Staff

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (front) walks during a joint press conference with the Saudi foreign minister (not pictured) after a ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State in Riyadh on June 8, 2023. (Ahmed Yosri/Pool/AFP)

June 17, 2023, 7:06 pm

US not optimistic on Israel-Saudi normalization despite boosting efforts — report

NY Times says Netanyahu recently held 40-minute call with Blinken on Saudi demands, while envoy McGurk led delegation to region last week

By ToI Staff

A Spike anti-tank missile is seen launched, in a handout photo published April 9, 2023. (Rafael Advanced Systems)

June 14, 2023, 3:07 pm

Israeli arms sales doubled in a decade, hit new record of $12.5 billion in 2022

Defense Ministry officials note surge in demand for Israeli-made weapons due to Russia’s war on Ukraine, uptick in interest from Arab allies; nearly quarter of exports are drones

By Emanuel Fabian

Negev Forum participants hold a meeting in Abu Dhabi on January 10, 2022. (UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry)

June 14, 2023, 6:07 am

US House passes bill to establish special envoy for advancing Abraham Accords

Vote comes days after Blinken said administration already planning to create position, demonstrating determination in Congress to leave footprint on Israel normalization effort

By Jacob Magid

File: Benjamin Netanyahu (right) during a Likud party meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 13, 2021; Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 14, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90; Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)

June 9, 2023, 1:41 pm

Netanyahu: Saudi normalization would be quantum leap forward, change history

PM also tells Sky News that Israel ‘will do what we need to do’ against Iran’s nuclear program, says he’s ‘not sure’ consensus will be achieved on judicial overhaul

By ToI Staff

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan during a joint news conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 8, 2023. (Ahmed Yosri/Pool Photo via AP)

June 8, 2023, 10:39 pm

Saudi FM: Normalization with Israel would have benefits, but less without two states

Asked about Riyadh’s widely reported demand that US back its civilian nuclear program, bin Farhan says kingdom prefers support from US but notes there are other potential ‘bidders’

By Jacob Magid

Defense Minister Benny Gantz and then-outgoing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the Knesset plenum, June 13, 2021. (Noam Moskowitz/Knesset)

June 6, 2023, 11:44 pm

Gantz rules out joining gov’t to secure Saudi normalization, would offer safety net

Former defense minister says he could back deal from the opposition, with Riyadh expected to make demands for concessions to Palestinians opposed by PM’s hardline allies

By Jacob Magid

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks at the 2023 American Israel public affairs committee policy summit in Washington, DC, on June 5, 2023. (Mandel NGAN / AFP)

June 5, 2023, 9:37 pm

Biden administration planning new post aimed at expanding Abraham Accords

Top US diplomat Blinken tells AIPAC that integrating Israel in region a ‘cornerstone’ of policy, pans Israel for steps undermining Palestinians’ dignity, settlement expansion

By Jacob Magid

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , right, converses with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana during a Likud faction meeting on February 6, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

June 5, 2023, 2:03 pm

Knesset speaker Amir Ohana set to visit Morocco’s parliament this week

Ohana to meet counterpart in Rabat on 1st official visit by head of Israeli legislature to Muslim country’s parliament; Israel waiting for kingdom to set date for next Negev Summit

By Lazar Berman

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud speak to reporters at the State Department in Washington, Oct. 14, 2021. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP)

June 2, 2023, 10:03 pm

Israel normalization on agenda as Blinken heads to Saudi Arabia next week

State Department says secretary will work to advance regional integration and is looking for opportunities short of full-on normalization between Riyadh and Jerusalem

By Jacob Magid and AFP

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia takes his seat ahead of a working lunch at the G20 Summit, Nov. 15, 2022, in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

June 2, 2023, 3:33 am

Top Biden official flags ‘misreporting’ in Israeli press on Saudi normalization

Assistant secretary of state says there’s been ‘a lot of hyperventilation’ in the media following reports supposedly revealing details of US-led talks between Jerusalem and Riyadh

By Jacob Magid

Transportation Minister Miri Regev (left) with her Moroccan counterpart Mohamed Abdeljali after signing a series of deals in Rabat, Morocco, May 29, 2023. (Twitter)

May 29, 2023, 5:41 pm

Israel inks three transportation deals boosting links with Morocco

Agreements allow the use of Israeli driver’s licenses in the North African kingdom, encourage direct shipping, promote road safety ties and innovation

By ToI Staff and AFP

File: Former US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt, speaks at an OurCrowd investor summit in Jerusalem, February 13, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

May 26, 2023, 4:15 am

White House is alienating Gulf allies, says former Trump Middle East envoy

Jason Greenblatt, ex-Middle East special representative, says Biden making expansion of Abraham Accords harder, and gives money too easily to Palestinians

By Lazar Berman

The Burj Khalifa and downtown Dubai at dusk. (typhoonski via iStock by Getty Images)

May 24, 2023, 11:50 pm

Israeli man stabbed to death in Dubai

Suspects in slaying are also Israeli, UAE authorities say, amid reports that victim was connected to organized crime

By ToI Staff