Mideast and US leaders tried to sweep the Palestinian issue under the rug. That may not work anymore

CNN

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted in August that the Palestinian issue had become a mere “check box” for Arab states that were looking to establish ties with the Jewish state, suggesting that it was a matter of lip service to an outdated cause.

“You have to check it to say that you’re doing it,” he said. The Palestinian issue, he said, is brought up “a lot less than you think” in negotiations with Arab states.

A month later, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) acknowledged the existence of talks to normalize relations with Israel. In return for recognition, he said, Israel would have to “ease the life of the Palestinians,” stopping short of calling for a Palestinian state and effectively abandoning a two-decade-old Saudi pledge to only make peace with Israel after it fully withdraws from land it occupies.