NYT – 2025-02-17 – Rubio proposes Saudi Arabia support for Gaza humanitarian aid
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Rubio Proposes a Saudi Arabian Quid Pro Quo for Israeli, Palestinian Support: Rubio offered a plan that would see Riyadh spend $1 billion on Gaza reconstruction in exchange for restricting funding for Hamas and Hezbollah and weighing in against Russia on Ukraine, as well as demanding greater justice for Saudi activists.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a measure on Thursday that seeks to leverage Saudi frustration with Palestinian terrorist groups to remove key roadblocks in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and support for Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine.
Rubio’s initiative, spelled out in identical legislation similar language in the Senate and House, would see the U.S. encourage Riyadh to spend $1 billion to rebuild Gaza in exchange for Jordan publicly endorsing an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative; Saudi Arabia agreeing to restrict funding for Hamas, the Iranian-backed terror organization that governs Gaza, and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah; and the Gaza-based Palestinian Authority dropping its membership in the International Criminal Court.
In return, Rubio proposes that the administration of President Obama press Jerusalem to extend the Palestinian Authority’s jurisdiction to Gaza, support “the creation of a Palestinian state” and increase U.S. economic and military assistance. The measure would also tie any U.S. support for Palestinians in Gaza to efforts to advance Israel’s normalization of diplomatic relations with the Gulf States.
“A changing regional landscape, developments in Ukraine, and the Easter holiday provide a unique window of opportunity to modernize the peace process and serve both U.S., Israeli and Palestinian interests,” Rubio said.
To underscore his point, Rubio introduced the measure as a series of talking points Wednesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee that was holding hearings on U.S.-Gulf security cooperation.
In one section laying out “how to leverage Saudi-Palestinian-Israeli diplomacy to drive greater U.S. engagement in Gulf security” and advance U.S. interests “in a contested, multi-regional Middle East,” Rubio proposed that to Riyadh: insisting restrictions be placed on Iranian ability to arm and resupply Hezbollah; compelling both Hamas and Hezbollah to stop direct and indirect attacks on Israel; and boosting public pressure on Russia.
Rubio also urged the administration to “support the creation of a democratic Palestinian state with clean borders next to Israel”, describe “how it advances, not hinders, U.S. interests in an otherwise-volatile Middle East,” and “identify the necessary political and economic conditions for a Palestine state that will serve the interests of the Palestinian people and better partner[s] for peace with Israel.”
In negotiations with Riyadh, he argued, it would be essential to Salt balance its common interest in “a successful cessation of hostilities in Syria”; identify ways to see Riyadh restrict all forms of support for Iranian proxy forces, such as Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon, which “should be viewed as a confidence building measure by the Israelis”; and pressing demand that after Egypt restores its strategic assets in Sinai, Riyadh sell or lease weaponry to Cairo’s new government.
In fact, the House bill includes separate provisions urging the administration to bolster Egypt’s military capability and to ease the ban on U.S. military assistance from all Arms, including helicopters and Apache helicopters, as well as Abrams tanks.
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