Saudi Arabia slams brakes on Israel ties over alleged 'right-wing extremism'

According to an Israeli official in the Prime Minister’s Office, Saudi Arabia has conveyed its decision to halt discussions aimed at normalizing relations with Israel to the Biden administration, The Jerusalem Post reported. This development was also reported by the Arab news outlet Elaph.
As per this unverified report, Riyadh communicated its decision through the United States, citing concerns about the "extremist" nature of Israel's right-wing government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The Saudi perspective, as outlined by Elaph, is that this government's policies hinder any potential reconciliation with the Palestinians, and consequently, with Saudi Arabia.
The report further elaborates that Saudi Arabia was discouraged from pursuing a potential peace agreement due to what it perceived as Netanyahu's willingness to accommodate demands from figures like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whom the Saudis view as "extremely right-wing."
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of resolving Palestinian issues for any normalization agreement with Israel. Blinken stated that Saudi Arabia had informed the Biden administration of this critical aspect. He also asserted that while efforts to improve relations between Israel and its neighbors were ongoing, these initiatives could not substitute for a resolution of differences between Israel and the Palestinians, which he believed should involve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Additionally, last month, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen emphasized in an interview with Elaph that the "Palestinian issue is not an obstacle to peace."