Nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan was pressured to reschedule a high-stakes journey to Saudi Arabia to debate the state of affairs in Israel and the Gaza Strip after struggling a cracked rib, the White Home introduced Wednesday.
“This was a minor accident of his personal,” Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby informed reporters. “It was not attributable to anyone. It was not the results of a nefarious act.”
Sullivan will search to reschedule his journey as rapidly as potential, Kirby added.
The 47-year-old adviser had his sights set on discussing the prospect of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, Axios reported.
The Biden administration had been eyeing a landmark settlement between Riyadh and Jerusalem forward of the Oct. 7 terror assault by Hamas, which killed an estimated 1,200 individuals — together with 33 People.
Sullivan’s journey would have come on the heels of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s go to to Jeddah final month, throughout which he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and “underscored the significance of urgently addressing humanitarian wants in Gaza,” per the State Division.
As a part of a possible deal, the Biden administration is considering helping Saudi Arabia’s growth of a civilian nuclear program whereas Riyadh would demand Israel ultimately commit the institution of a Palestinian state, in accordance with Axios.
Previous to the Oct. 7 assault, rumors had additionally swirled that the White Home was mulling some form of mutual protection treaty with the Saudis, much like the US association with Japan and South Korea.
Following the Hamas assault, the mega-deal had broadly been regarded as on ice, just for President Biden to counsel there’s nonetheless hope for a breakthrough.
“I gained’t go into element now. However look, I’ve been working with the Saudis. … They’re ready to completely acknowledge Israel,” Biden, 81, claimed throughout his star-studded fundraiser in New York March 28.
“There needs to be a post-Gaza plan right here, and there needs to be a practice to a two-state resolution.”
Biden has repeatedly clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over current weeks and sought to ramp up public strain on him to be extra conscientious of the plight of Palestinian civilians.
Earlier this week, prime US and Israeli officers met nearly to hash out variations over Netanyahu’s goal to ship troops into the refugee-dense southern Gazan metropolis of Rafah.
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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