Senators to Biden: No to defense treaty with Saudi Arabia as part of agreement with Israel

A group of 20 senators from the Democratic Party on Wednesday sent a letter to US President Joe Biden in which they expressed their support for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but demanded that the agreement not include a defense pact or an agreement to Saudi Arabia having a civilian nuclear program.

The letter was spearheaded by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT).

“Peace between Israel and its neighbors has been a longstanding goal of US foreign policy, and we are maintaining an open mind about any agreement that would potentially deepen the political, cultural and economic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel,” wrote the senators. “As the Administration pursues negotiations to achieve an agreement that may require Senate action, we write to share our views on the parameters of any potential proposal that aligns with US security goals and advances your stated goals for long term peace, stability and justice in the region.” READ MORE