By:  World Israel News Staff – worldisraelnews.com

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was interviewed by Maariv ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, expressing his concerns over the possible Israel-Saudi peace deal being brokered by the Biden administration.

Kissinger, the prolific Jewish-American statesman who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, said he supported normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but that the price to be paid was “too high.”

“I favor the outcome but I’m uneasy about the concessions that we are offering. I think they are very high and I am uneasy about it,” he said without clarifying whether he was alluding to concessions offered by Israel or the U.S.

Asked on his opinion regarding Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kissinger said he respects Netanyahu, “for what he does for the security of Israel.”

“His management of domestic affairs I cannot judge, but I am very worried about the divisions in the nation which are very dangerous for the State of Israel,” added Kissinger referencing the anti-government demonstrations which have swept Israel over the past months.

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia would include a peace deal with the Palestinians and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Blinken said that for the deal with the Saudis to move along, Israel and the Palestinians “must resolve their differences” with the result being a two-state solution. The Secretary of State added that he believes the Saudis have made that demand clear to Israel as well.

The White House, for its part, has stated that it has been “working closely” with Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to establish parameters for negotiations with their Israeli counterparts. According to reports, Biden has offered the Palestinians a “comprehensive financial and social aid package” that would “transform” their economy.

In a related development, World Israel News reported on Sunday that in a another gesture highlighting warming relations, Israel commemorated Saudi Arabia’s National Day this Saturday, extending “sincere congratulations and blessings” to the kingdom.

“We extend our sincere congratulations and blessings to the king, government, and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the 93rd National Day,” the Foreign Ministry conveyed through its Arabic account on the social media platform X.

“May God bring you goodness and blessings in the light of security, safety, and prosperity, with our wishes that an atmosphere of peace, cooperation, and good neighborliness will prevail.”

Saudi National Day is a significant event that marks the establishment of the modern Saudi kingdom in 1932. Israel’s acknowledgment of this day comes at a time when discussions about potential normalization of relations between the two nations are intensifying.

This message of goodwill follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement at the United Nations General Assembly, where he shared optimistic insights regarding the forging of peace with Saudi Arabia, declaring, “Such a peace will go a long way to ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. It will encourage other Arab states to normalize their relations with Israel. It will enhance the prospects of peace with the Palestinians. It will encourage a broader reconciliation between Judaism and Islam, between Jerusalem and Mecca, between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael.”

“All these are tremendous blessings,” Netanyahu added.

(WorldIsraelNews.com)