In an interview with Late Night with Seth Meyers, President Joe Biden revealed that an agreement had been reached with Israel in principle to cease fire in Gaza during Ramadan, allowing them to move in a direction where Saudi Arabia and other countries would be willing to recognise Israel as a state.
“First and foremost, all hostages must be liberated. Ramadan is approaching, and the Israelis have agreed not to engage in activities throughout Ramadan to allow us time to evacuate all of the hostages. It provides us time to begin to go in areas that many Arab countries are willing to move in. For example, Saudi Arabia is ready to recognize Israel, Jordan is, and Egypt and six other countries,” Biden said.
Biden emphasized his efforts to promote Israel’s recognition by numerous Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. He responded to criticism by saying, “I get chastised for saying a long time ago that you don’t have to be Jewish to be a Zionist. “I’m a Zionist,” he said, reiterating his longtime support for Israel.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry recorded a catastrophic toll, with at least 29,878 casualties from the Israeli assault. The statement reported 96 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of wounded to 70,215 since the fighting began on October 7.
The announcement of Saudi Arabia’s probable recognition signals a dramatic shift in the Middle East’s diplomatic environment.
