Netanyahu Urges Palestinians to Relinquish Veto Power Over Arab-Israeli Peace Accords, Amid Warming Ties with Saudi Arabia
In a defining moment at the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued against Palestinian veto power over peace agreements with Arab nations. Netanyahu emphasized that any regional peace framework should not be hindered by the Palestinians, who make up merely 2% of the Arab world.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu-Image Source: Sky News
Netanyahu framed the Israeli-Arab reconciliation as the precursor for broader peace in the Middle East. He contended that the Abraham Accords, which saw Israel formalize relations with four Arab countries, had set the stage for a “historic era of peace.”
Simultaneously, the Prime Minister sharply criticized Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for promulgating anti-Semitic beliefs and called for a cessation of Palestinian funding to militants.
מזרח תיכון חדש. באמת. pic.twitter.com/oi4NQI3oQc
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 22, 2023
The Israeli leader also offered an overview of the geo-strategic shifts in the Middle East. He spoke optimistically of Israel’s warming ties with Saudi Arabia, hinting at a looming normalization agreement that could reshape the regional map and encourage other Arab nations to follow suit. “Such an agreement would put an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Netanyahu asserted.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech at #UNGA says normalisation with Saudi Arabia would enhance prospects of peace with Palestinians pic.twitter.com/Dk5AC1sooW
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 22, 2023
Furthermore, Netanyahu pivoted to the subject of Iran. He reiterated long-standing warnings about the “common threat” Iran poses to both Israel and the Arab states.
In the broader context, Netanyahu’s speech comes amid simmering talks of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, rising tensions along the Gaza and West Bank borders, and domestic political challenges, including a looming judicial crisis.
Netanyahu’s remarks draw a complex, and perhaps controversial, blueprint for the future of Middle Eastern geopolitics—one that marginalizes the role of Palestinians in shaping peace accords but opens new doors for Arab-Israeli relations.
