Israel should focus on shaping, not judging, Trump's nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia - analysis

Reports of a potential US civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, initially perceived as not requiring normalization with Israel, quickly ignited criticism from Israel's political opposition. Head of the Democrats Yair Golan declared on X/Twitter that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "succeeded in doing the impossible," simultaneously losing the chance for normalization and enabling Saudi Arabia's nuclear capabilities. Opposition leader Yair Lapid echoed this sentiment, calling the reported agreement a "total failure" and emphasizing that preventing any Middle Eastern country from acquiring nuclear capability is a foremost responsibility of the Israeli prime minister.

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Netanyahu succeeded in doing the impossible. He both lost the normalization with Saudi Arabia and enabled it to gain nuclear capabilities.

Lapid recalled that during his and Naftali Bennett's tenure, they were prepared to confront Washington, even publicly, to block any agreement permitting Saudi uranium enrichment. The political verdict from the opposition appeared unanimous, framing the situation as a significant diplomatic and strategic loss for Netanyahu. They argued that Netanyahu had squandered Israel's best opportunity in years to normalize ties with Saudi Arabia while simultaneously allowing it to develop nuclear power.

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Preventing any Middle Eastern country from acquiring an indigenous nuclear capability, Lapid argued, is among an Israeli prime minister’s foremost responsibilities.

However, this narrative was significantly challenged less than a day later when US President Donald Trump addressed the reports on Truth Social. Trump declared that any civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would involve "no enrichment of material." Crucially, he also stated that the agreement would only be approved if Saudi Arabia joined the Abraham Accords. This clarification from Trump directly contradicted the premise of the opposition's criticism, suggesting that the very developments they claimed Netanyahu had already lost – preventing Saudi uranium enrichment and preserving normalization as part of the deal – were still part of the administration's position.

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any civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would involve “no enrichment of material.”

The uncertainty surrounding the initial reports and Trump's subsequent clarification highlights the rapid shifts in the situation. It remains unclear whether Israeli diplomacy played a role in shaping these conditions, if they were always part of the US administration's thinking, or if Trump was simply clarifying an incomplete proposal. Regardless, the opposition's swift political attacks, based on what turned out to be incomplete information, underscore a tendency to "jump the gun" and prioritize scoring political points over waiting for all facts to emerge.

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the agreement would be approved only if Saudi Arabia joined the Abraham Accords.