(REUTERS): White House adviser and US president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has said that it would be in Saudi Arabia’s interest to normalize ties with Israel as the UAE has agreed to do.
The Kingdom has been silent on Donald Trump’s surprise announcement last Thursday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel had decided to normalise relations.
In this regard, Israel had agreed to suspend the annexation of occupied West Bank territories, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the plan was not off the table in the long run.
Addressing a press briefing, Jared Kushner said that it would also weaken their common foe Iran’s influence in the region and ultimately help the Palestinians.
“It would be very good for Saudi business, it would very good for Saudi’s defence, and, quite frankly, I think it would also help the Palestinian people,” US president’s son-in-law said.
The White House advisor further said that Saudi King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had repeatedly expressed their desire for an independent Palestinian state with economic opportunities.
He asserted that Saudi Arabia and Israel have a common enemy in Iran, which most Gulf countries have accused of supporting militant groups in the region.
“It is in the interest of a lot of these countries from a security point of view and from an economic point of view to have relations with Israel,” Kushner said.
He said, “A lot of GCC countries want to have breakthroughs. The more those countries come together like Israel and the UAE the harder it will be for Iran to divide and conquer.”
Earlier on Sunday, Israel’s intelligence minister asserted that Bahrain and Oman could be the next Gulf countries to follow the United Arab Emirates in formalising ties with Israel.
Speaking to national radio, “In the wake of this agreement (with the UAE) will come additional agreements, both with more Gulf countries and with Muslim countries in Africa.”
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