Despite President Donald Trump’s optimism that a Saudi-Israeli peace deal could materialize before the end of the year, insiders in Riyadh are signaling that such an outcome is highly improbable. Saudi analysts close to the royal court insist that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not normalize relations with Israel unless it takes “an irrevocable, major step toward a Palestinian state.” With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition firmly opposed to Palestinian statehood—and Israeli public sentiment hardened since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023—analysts say the political climate in Jerusalem makes normalization “virtually impossible” for now.

As Crown Prince Mohammed prepares for his first visit to Washington in seven years, the kingdom’s immediate focus appears to be elsewhere: securing a mutual defense pact with the United States and advancing its civilian nuclear ambitions. Riyadh seeks to mirror Qatar’s defense arrangement with Washington—guaranteeing U.S. protection in case of attack—while also gaining access to F-35 jets and nuclear technology. For Saudi Arabia, normalization with Israel remains a powerful bargaining chip in shaping a final resolution to the Palestinian question. Yet, with prophetic implications for regional peace hanging in the balance, the sands of diplomacy may not shift until Israel and its neighbors confront the one issue that still divides them—the covenant land itself.

SOURCE: World Israel News