The Times of Israel newspaper said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present a new moratorium that allows progress in the normalization process with Saudi Arabia, in the speech he will deliver before a joint session of the US Congress during his visit to Washington next month.
The newspaper quoted a report by the Israeli Channel 13 news saying that Netanyahu’s new plan includes a ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of prisoners to end the fighting in Gaza, a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, a path towards establishing a Palestinian state, and establishing diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
However, in a statement to the newspaper, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office rejected what was stated in the Channel 13 report, saying that Netanyahu “opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and will not change his position in his speech before Congress.”
At the same time, Netanyahu’s office left room for maneuver by providing rhetorical support for a “vague” process that would lead to increased Palestinian autonomy without establishing a state.
The newspaper reported, citing Channel 13 News, that senior aides to Netanyahu informed the White House that his speech would contain elements that support US President Joe Biden’s grand vision for the Middle East.