To broker a new diplomatic pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the White House would need to persuade two historic adversaries to find common ground on thorny issues like nuclear enrichment, weapons sales and the territorial rights of Palestinians.
Then, the administration would face what could be an even more daunting challenge: getting 67 senators to go along with it.
With that challenge in mind, White House officials have been holding meetings on Capitol Hill in recent weeks with a small but influential group of Democratic senators, updating them on the details of ongoing diplomatic negotiations with Israeli and Saudi leaders.
It is part of an ongoing effort to quietly build support for any Senate vote that would be needed to cement a potential pact.
The exact terms of the relationship are still being discussed, but any new treaty with Saudi Arabia would require support from two-thirds of the Senate — a difficult hurdle to clear for any issue.
Persons:
Mohammed bin Salman
Organizations:
Capitol, Democratic, Saudi
Locations:
Israel, Saudi Arabia, United States