Israel considers Saudi Arabia’s nuclear programme under potential normalisation deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed top Israeli nuclear and security specialists to cooperate with US negotiators as they try to reach a compromise that could allow Saudi Arabia to become the second country in the Middle East, after Iran, to openly enrich uranium.

Israeli officials are quietly working with the Biden administration on a polarizing proposal to set up a US-run, uranium-enrichment operation in Saudi Arabia as part of a complex three-way deal to establish official diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern countries, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quotes unnamed US and Israeli officials as saying.

The US and Saudi Arabia have been negotiating the contours of a deal for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel in exchange for helping the kingdom develop a civilian nuclear program with uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, among other concessions. Other aspects of the evolving deal are expected to include concessions for the Palestinians and US security guarantees. 

If Saudi Arabia agrees to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, it would pave the way for other Arab and Muslim nations to follow suit, effectively ending decades of ostracism for the Jewish state founded in 1948.

While neither the US nor Israel has so far agreed on a plan that would allow uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia, doing so would represent a turnabout in decades of policy in both countries, where leaders across the political spectrum have worked to prevent Middle Eastern countries from developing the capability.

In an interview aired on Fox News on September 20, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described negotiations over normalization with Israel as serious and getting closer to a deal every day, while stipulating that his country would seek a nuclear weapon if Iran obtained one.

“If they get one, we have to get one. For security reason and for balancing power in the Middle East. But we don’t want to see that,” he added.

In the interview, bin Salman clarified that if there is a breakthrough in relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, he would be willing to work with any Israeli leader.

"According to Saudi policy, we are not interested in the identity of the leader of another country. If we succeed in reaching an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, we will establish relations with Israel regardless of who leads it," he added.