Report: Saudi ties with Israel collapsing over protracted Palestinian peace talks

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This combination of file photos shows Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 24, 2019 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Russia, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020
AP Photo/Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via APThis combination of file photos shows Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 24, 2019 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Russia, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020
An Israeli official reportedly told Saudi media that relations between the two countries have changed

Saudi Arabia will not sign a normalization agreement with Israel unless progress is made on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite recent progress in advancing ties between Riyadh and Jerusalem, Saudi daily newspaper Elaph claimed on Saturday.

The report comes nearly two months after revelations about a secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the city of Neom in Saudi Arabia.

According to the newspaper, which quotes a senior Israeli official on condition of anonymity, attempts to portray Israeli-Saudi normalization as an imminent development is likely motivated by personal or political considerations.

The outlet added that relations between the Jewish state and Riyadh have changed and the Saudis ties to Jerusalem have significantly deteriorated over the last several weeks.

It remains unclear how relations broke-down between the two regional powers, but President Donald Trump’s recent loss in the US 2020 election could be a contributing factor.

The Trump administration successfully brokered numerous peace agreements between Israel and Sunni Arab states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, in the last six months alone.

Reports in international media also suggested that the White House was working hard to cultivate closer ties between Jerusalem and Riyadh, but has so far failed to achieve an agreement.

Progress, however, was made in other significant ways, including the Islamic Kingdom allowing Israeli passenger jets to ferry tourists to the UAE using its airspace.  

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