Haaretz – Adapted

Israel has recently sent messages to Saudi Arabia through a number of different channels, stating that it would like to strengthen ties between the two nations before any potential changes in the White House after roughly one and a half years.

Israel worries that if Joe Biden does not win re-election, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee to succeed him, won't be able to win over enough members of Congress to enable the United States to easily approve the price to be paid to Saudi Arabia.

As a condition of normalization with Israel, the Saudis have made extensive demands of the United States, including U.S. support for a nuclear program, advanced armaments, and a defensive alliance. Israeli officials are aware that Congress will vigorously oppose these requests. Given that the Republican and Democratic parties are now split in Congress, Biden's attendance will boost their calls for approval.

The Israeli government is very interested in a deal with Saudi Arabia. However, some worry that Bin Salman will decide he is not interested in giving Biden a political victory. This is after the former vice president pledged during his presidential campaign to turn Saudi Arabia into a "fragmented" country due to the violation of human rights in the Kingdom and the murder of Saudi analyst Jamal Al Khashoggi in 2018.

The development of communications with Saudi Arabia is advanced, and no documents have been created to date. Israel's message to Saudi Arabia, however, makes clear the crucial part the US Congress is anticipated to play in bringing the process to a successful conclusion.