Report: Riyadh Links Normalization to Ousting Netanyahu and Canceling Smotrich's Measures

SadaNews - In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has conveyed messages to officials in Washington indicating its preparedness to return to discussions about joining the "Abraham Accords" to normalize relations with Israel, but it has set conditions that the current Israeli government cannot meet.

This was reported by the newspaper "Israel Hayom" on Tuesday, based on three sources it said were knowledgeable about the movements in the U.S. capital, emphasizing that Riyadh has intensified its diplomatic activity recently in Washington.

One source stated that representatives of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approached the White House and the U.S. State Department, as well as several members of Congress, with a unified message that included two main conditions.

According to the report, the first condition is the replacement of Benjamin Netanyahu as the head of the Israeli government after the elections, while the second condition entails the cancellation of the measures implemented by Finance Minister and Minister in the Ministry of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, in the occupied West Bank.

The report added that the prevailing impression among U.S. officials is that Riyadh links the two conditions, based on its estimation that Netanyahu will continue to support the policy adopted by Smotrich over the past three years in the West Bank as long as he remains in power.

The report mentioned that Saudi Arabia has considered, on multiple occasions during the war, the possibility of officially recognizing Israel, in exchange for substantial "concessions" from the latter in the West Bank.

According to the newspaper, Riyadh particularly expected Netanyahu to clearly announce his initial readiness to establish a Palestinian state in the future, but the Israeli prime minister rejected this request, leading to the initiative's downfall.

The report pointed out that the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham was deeply involved in recent years in efforts aimed at bringing Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together.

The newspaper quoted sources familiar with the Saudi movements as saying that such proposals are often aimed at "initiating a process, rather than necessarily achieving a result."

These sources claimed that Saudi Arabia has made it difficult for U.S. President Donald Trump in his movements during the war with Iran, after it allegedly obstructed his plan to safely open the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian ships. They added that Saudi Arabia's cancellation of permission to use U.S. bases on its territory for operations against Iran angered Trump.

These same sources viewed the current Saudi movement as possibly intended to send a message to Trump that Riyadh is a valuable partner for him. They also estimated that prompting a new political process aimed at preventing a resurgence of war between Iran and the United States.