Why an Israel-Saudi Deal Won’t Bring Middle East Peace

February 19, 2024 Topic: Security Region: Middle East Blog Brand: Paul Pillar Tags: IsraelSaudi ArabiaPalestineNormalizationMohammed Bin Salman

Why an Israel-Saudi Deal Won’t Bring Middle East Peace

Rather than attempting a complicated carom shot that relies on the ambitions of the current Saudi crown prince, the United States needs to look at its own bilateral relationship with Israel.

 

Paul R. Pillar retired in 2005 from a twenty-eight-year career in the U.S. intelligence community, in which his last position was as the National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia. Earlier, he served in a variety of analytical and managerial positions, including as chief of analytic units at the CIA, covering portions of the Near East, the Persian Gulf, and South Asia. His most recent book is Beyond the Water’s Edge: How Partisanship Corrupts U.S. Foreign Policy. He is also a contributing editor for this publication.

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