“Dating will exist whether or not there is normalization,” he added, stressing that “normalization is a process, an event” that will most likely continue “only . . . regardless of what’s going on here. “
At least another 3,200 people have been killed since Hamas smuggled thousands of missiles into Israel last week, bringing the total to at least 1,300 Israeli civilians and infantrymen and 27 Americans. The Palestinian health government says at least 2,215 Palestinians have been killed and more than 8,700 wounded.
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Some experts have warned that the attack came as a reaction to recent reports, adding an interview with Bret Baier, Fox News’ leading political anchor and editor of the “Bret Baier Special Report” with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that Saudi Arabia and Israel were close to an agreement on normalizing relations.
The move would have been a primary victory for the parties involved, a primary setback for Iran, which has long supported Hamas terrorism in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves 10 Downing Street after brief talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on March 24, 2023 in London (Mark Kerrison/In Shots Getty Images).
But two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the crown prince had already spoken to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a bid to avoid further violence in the region.
One of the sources said the talks may not continue for now and that Saudi Arabia will prioritize concessions for the Palestinian people when talks resume.
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A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Raisi’s appeal to the crown prince was aimed at supporting “Palestine and preventing the spread of war in the region,” adding that the appeal was “good and promising. “
An Iranian official said the call lasted forty-five minutes and had the blessing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, in New Delhi on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023 (Prakash Singh/Bloomberg Getty Images).
Saudi Arabia’s first statements following the announcement of the attack in Israel gave the impression of blaming Israel for the conflict, referring to its beyond “warnings” to Israel regarding the solution to the Palestinian people, and the Foreign Ministry said it was “closely following developments. “””.
“The Kingdom reiterates its repeated warnings about the risks of an explosion of the situation due to the continued profession and deprivation of Palestinians of their valid rights and the repetition of systematic provocations contrary to their sacred values,” he said, adding an appeal. a new effort to achieve a two-state solution, but referring to the Israeli army as “occupying forces. “
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This prompted complaints from U. S. officials. Lindsey Graham, R-S. C. , revealed that he told a senior Saudi official on Saturday that “if you need a general relationship with the United States, that’s not a general matrix. “
“You don’t need to be in the applause segment of Iran and Hezbollah,” he said of their conversation, according to the New York Times.
An aerial view Wednesday of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes at a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza City. (Yahya Hassouna/AFP Getty Images)
The president and founder of geopolitical consultancy Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer, told Fortune that he believes the Israel-Saudi deal has become “nasty” as Saudi Arabia makes it “impossible” for the two countries to open diplomacy.
Schanzer disagrees with this assertion, arguing that the relationship the two countries have with the United States will help them in their balance and work toward a normalization agreement.
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“It’s quite general that countries that don’t have full diplomatic relations start functioning through intelligence agencies, through secret channels,” Schanzer explained. “So this secret channel exists, and I don’t think it’s very likely to replace it anytime soon. “”.
U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is recently on a whirlwind tour with key regional players: Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. On Sunday, he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Riyadh, where he described the talks. as “very productive. “
Smoke rises following Israeli moves in Gaza on Tuesday. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto Getty Images)
During their talks, Blinken consistently wanted to quickly end the standoff and keep the lives of civilians caught in the crossfire between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
According to Shanzer, the real thing is when talks can continue, whether a position is taken “in the context of this crisis” or not.
“I think the Saudis have to ask themselves if Israel is the same strong country that they thought they were dealing with and that they could take advantage of an alliance,” he continued.
“That said, at the same time, Israel will have to be very careful about the appearance of what happens next in the Gaza Strip, because the Saudi public will need to see bloodshed, anguish and destruction in Gaza,” he added.
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“The Saudi public will not need to see bloodshed, anguish and destruction in Gaza. He continues to feel compassion for the Palestinian people, even though he would have possibly reduced his own to help them directly in the struggle for a Palestinian state,” Schanzer said.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Peter Aitken is a reporter for Fox News Digital who focuses on national news.