Middle East Could Have A Peace Deal, Even A Missile Defence Shield, If Only Israel Relents in Gaza

The United States is brokering a historic peace deal with Israel and Saudi Arabia, which could see peace settle in the larger Middle East region.

This deal could include the US helping Saudi Arabia kickstart its civil nuclear program, apart from creating a region-wide missile defense shield. Some elements of this missile defence shield were earlier used to help Israel shoot down Iran's barrage of hundreds of missiles and drones.

However, Israel's brutal military campaign against Gaza and opposition by the far-right members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet could derail the deal.

This comes after US President Joseph Biden's National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan made back-to-back visits to Riyadh and Jerusalem to get both the Saudis and Israelis on board with the new peace deal.

According to reports, this deal hinges on Israel stopping its assault in Gaza and a permanent peace plan for Palestine, i.e., the recognition of the Palestinian state.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said that there will be no concessions for the Palestinians. He is under pressure from his far-right allies to continue the war.

The situation was further complicated by the issuance of warrants against Netanyahu and some Hamas leaders by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Moreover, Spain, Ireland, and Norway dealt another blow to Israel by recognising the Palestinian state.

Reportedly, the talks were going well until the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel.

If this deal comes through, it could pave the way for widespread peace in the turmoil-ridden Middle East region.

This could also be a breakthrough moment for Joe Biden and his electoral prospects in the US Presidential elections to be held in November this year, akin to the Abraham Accords, done by former President Donald Trump, which normalised ties between Israel, UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain.

However, due to the extreme pressure on Netanyahu by his far-right allies, the ICC releasing a warrant against him, and Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognising Palestine, it will be very hard for Netanyahu to accept the deal — particularly slowing down (or completely stopping) its assault on Gaza, or, the recognition of Palestine as a nation-state.