So Much for That Normalization Deal

The good news is that a normalization agreement appears to be out of the question for the foreseeable future.

The Biden administration’s pursuit of a Saudi-Israeli normalization agreement has hit a small snag:

Saudi Arabia warned of the dangerous repercussions of the Israeli occupation forces’ targeting of the city of Rafah as part of its ongoing bloody and brutal campaign on the Gaza Strip.

The Kingdom also renewed its call on the international community to intervene immediately to stop the genocide being perpetrated by Israel against unarmed civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip.

The statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry is remarkably blunt. The Saudis refer to Israel’s “systematic bloody campaign” and the “massive destruction caused by the Israeli war machine.” Significantly, they chose to describe the campaign as a genocide against the civilian population of Gaza. Accusing Israel of that crime and calling for international intervention against them are some of the most provocative things that they could have said. This is the sort of language that governments typically reserve for their adversaries, so it is notable that the Saudis use it against a supposed future partner.

The good news is that a normalization agreement appears to be out of the question for the foreseeable future. That means that a U.S.-Saudi pact isn’t likely to move forward, either.