Netanyahu tells UN that Israel is ‘at the cusp’ of an historic agreement with Saudi Arabia

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “at the cusp” of a historic breakthrough leading to a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia.

In an address to the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, Netanyahu said “peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia will truly create a new Middle East.”

The U.S. has been seeking to broker an agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact, aid in developing a civilian nuclear program and progress toward creating a Palestinian state.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview with Fox News this week that the two sides are getting closer to an agreement.

But any such deal would face significant obstacles. The Saudis are believed to be pushing for a major step toward peace with the Palestinians, a hard sell for Netanyahu’s government, which is the most hawkish in Israel’s history.