US Senator and President of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace in Washington DC, Robert Wexler stressed that real peace in the Middle East is not possible without Saudi Arabia.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said the Saudi-American relationship is the cornerstone for not just tangible security, but in handling terrorism related to extremist ideologies and deterring emerging groups.
The relationship between Riyadh and Washington is very important, not just in traditional politics, but goes beyond it to the fields of innovation, economy and regional peace efforts, he continued.
Moreover, he said there was deep understanding of the fundamental nature of the American-Saudi relationship and the massive long-term value of the partnership and joint interests and goals.
Saudi Arabia is the cornerstone for American interests and its allies.
When it come to Israeli-Palestinian peace, it would be impossible to imagine any deal or any real tangible peace progress taking place without Saudi Arabia, said Wexler from Riyadh.
He cited late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz's declaration of the 2002 Arab peace initiative, saying it was a great vision of peace.
The collective challenge at hand, continued Wexler, is building sustainable peace.
Furthermore, he acknowledged that Israel is partly to blame for the collapse of the peace process in the region.
He refused to blame Tel Aviv entirely for the failure to achieve peace in the conflict with Palestinians.
He cited the Abraham Accords and peace agreements signed between Israel, Egypt and Jordan as evidence of the Israelis' openness to the region.
The Abraham Accords are not just peace between governments, but they represent warmer peace between peoples, remarked Wexler.
He stressed that the development of relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco is not taking place at the expense of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
All peoples of the region can benefit from the new dynamism created by the Abraham Accords, he continued.
The Accords are being used to display new openness on the regional level to push forward progress, narrow down disputes and improve the lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike, said Wexler.
In Riyadh, he revealed that he met with a number of Saudi officials, including State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir. Discussions focused on developing the needed strategies and steps to improve the lives of Palestinians and Israelis and to narrow down the scope of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He added that discussions focused on the most realistic paths to pursue to help the parties achieve the desired progress. They tackled the practical suggestions to help the Israelis and Palestinian achieve progress over the details of the conflict.
Discussions also covered American-Saudi relations.
Wexler stressed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was clear in his comments and declared actions in making peace. He is seeking a future of comprehensive regional peace.
On Saudi Arabia, he noted that it boasts a young population that is seeking innovation, technology and a brighter future where they can overcome challenges and the pain of the past.
He said he sees in the Kingdom a brave and diplomatically savvy leadership and readiness to review old problems with progress with the aim of achieving a real dignified and prosperous future.
In Saudi Arabia, it has become possible for words to materialize into action and finding the best ways to overcome differences, he noted.
