OnPolitics: Why Israel-Saudi Arabia relations are so important to the U.S.

Amy Nakamura and Chelsey Cox, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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Good afternoon, OnPolitics readers!

A few weeks after the Supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than half of Americans surveyed said they strongly disapprove of their states prohibiting all abortions, with no exceptions, a recent Morning Consult/Politico poll shows.

According to the poll, 61% strongly oppose and 13% somewhat oppose their states prohibiting all abortions with no exceptions, compared to only 9% who strongly support and 8% somewhat support.

Support for a ban increases when there are exceptions, but still a majority disapprove of such a ban. The poll found that 49% strongly oppose and another 12% somewhat oppose their state prohibiting all abortions, except for preventing the death or serious injury of the pregnant individual. In comparison, 16% strongly support that, with 12% somewhat supporting it.

It's Amy and Chelsey with today's top stories out of Washington.

Why Israel-Saudi Arabia relations matters to the U.S.

President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia this week is as much about building new ties between those two nations as it is about managing America’s own relationship with the countries.

Israel and Saudi Arabia are increasingly aligned in their opposition to Iran – an arch-rival and growing nuclear threat – among other hot-button global issues. And while the establishment of formal diplomatic ties is not expected, the trip could begin to lay the groundwork for what would be an historic rapprochement.

A warming of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be a foreign policy win for Biden. But it could undercut the push for a two-state solution – the creation of an independent Palestinian nation alongside Israel – which has been the north star of a negotiated settlement to the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Still, any normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a "long process," said Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser.

Why it matters to the U.S.: The United States would benefit from a more stable Middle East, particularly when so much is going on in the rest of the world. Biden had hoped to focus on the economic and military threat posed by China, which is becoming increasingly aggressive in the South China Sea.

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Real Quick: more stories you may have missed

Congress agrees on Active Shooter Alert System

Amid public demand for more gun safety controls after a rash of mass shootings around the country, Congress passed a bipartisan bill Wednesday enabling law enforcement to alert communities of a nearby active shooter.

The Active Shooter Alert Act passed the House in a 269-169 vote and heads to the Senate for approval.

Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I. and Fred Upton, R-Mich., the bill's co-sponsors, said such an alert could have been useful during events like the Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. The assailant was at large for eight hours and was able to leave the state to contemplate another shooting.

Upton also said policies outlined in the bill will keep people safer and allow police officers and first responders to "focus on ending the situation and saving lives."

Sad news today for the Trump family: Ivana Trump, ex-wife of former President Donald Trump and mother to Donald Jr. Eric and Ivanka Trump, died Thursday at 73. -- Amy and Chelsey

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Israel-Saudi Arabia relations are so important to the U.S.