Israel has expressed significant concerns that a potential agreement allowing Saudi Arabia to develop civilian nuclear reactors using American technology and enrich uranium could ignite a regional arms race, jeopardizing its long-term security interests.
The proposed deal, which requires approval from the U.S. Congress, is intended to facilitate Saudi Arabia's development of a civilian nuclear program. However, critics argue that it poses a strategic risk to Israel, which is widely believed to possess the Middle East's sole nuclear arsenal.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that the agreement, formulated without Israeli consultation, represents a "serious strategic failure" that endangers national security. He warned that uranium enrichment on Saudi soil could precipitate a regional nuclear race and a dangerous loss of control.
Echoing these sentiments, former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman posited that Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program would ultimately lead to the development of nuclear weapons and trigger an "arms race throughout the entire Middle East." Lieberman urged Israel to oppose the deal and actively lobby the U.S. Congress to block it.
Negotiations for a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia have been ongoing for years, spanning the administrations of Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Previous attempts stalled due to warnings from nonproliferation groups that such an agreement could provide Saudi Arabia with a pathway to acquiring nuclear weapons. Israelis had also hoped that any such deal would be integrated into a broader normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Benny Gantz, a former Israeli Defense Chief, commented that no security official would deem the introduction of civilian nuclear capabilities into Saudi Arabia, absent its integration into a moderate regional alliance, as beneficial to Israel's security.
