American sources have indicated that the opportunity for President Joe Biden's administration to mediate a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the presidential elections in November has closed. A Democratic legislator and a Republican aide in the Senate told the "Times of Israel" that there is no longer enough time in the congressional calendar for the Senate to hold the necessary hearings to approve the defense deal with Saudi Arabia. In reality, there are less than four weeks left for the U.S. Senate to convene before it meets for the last time on September 27 before the elections. This period includes August, during which Congress is in session for only two days.
The Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could theoretically attempt to call lawmakers back from recess in October, but congressional sources acknowledged that the administration would not be able to secure the nearly ten Republican votes needed for the agreement's approval weeks before the presidential elections. For his part, a White House official stated that the window for securing the deal "has not closed completely." Sources agreed that the deal is impossible without first reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, a point that senior American and Saudi officials clarified publicly, recognizing that Riyadh would not be able to market the normalization agreement domestically or in the region if the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
