US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and believed that an agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia could be reached before the end of the year.
Graham, who is in Michigan campaigning for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, told Reuters that Netanyahu supported work on a deal with Saudi Arabia, adding that the next US administration was unlikely to be able to secure enough votes in Congress after President Joe Biden leaves office on Jan. 20.
"I think the time to do this is on Biden's watch," said Graham, who had also met with Netanyahu earlier this month. He said Vice President Kamala Harris was "far more beholden to the left" and had not shown interest in working for such an agreement, but Biden was keen to see a deal get done and would be able to mobilize the needed Democratic votes.
Morgan Finkelstein, National Security Spokeswoman for the Harris campaign said: “Vice President Harris has consistently supported efforts to ensure Israel is more deeply integrated in the Middle East region, including a potential historic normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia. She believes such integration is critical to counter the threats posed by Iran.”