Last week, the Trump administration announced a historic national nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. The deal would allow the kingdom to develop nuclear power using US technology and could eventually pave the way for uranium enrichment on Saudi soil. But an agreement must be made first parliamentary review — and survived on President Donald Trump’s social media.
When the Trump administration announced its agreement, it did not mention the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. But the absence of that and the possibility that Saudi Arabia may eventually enrich uranium The Israelites threatened — and Trump quickly put both terms in a Social Truth post.
The turmoil in the deal comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington, DC, this week to meet with Trump. The Saudi deal – as well growing friction on the differences on the goals and direction of the new war between the United States and Iran and the frustration in Washington on the military operations of Israel in the south of Lebanon – it will certainly be a topic.
Today, It’s Explained co-host Sean Rameswame spoke to him Michael Koplowsenior policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum, about the relationship between the two countries and its leaders before Netanyahu’s visit.
Below is an excerpt of the conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get the podcast, including Apple Podcasts, Pandoraand Spotify.
What can we expect from the meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump?
I suspect this will be among the most difficult meetings they have had because there are several issues on the table where President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu are on different pages. The issue where they were once on the same page was Iran, and I don’t think so anymore.
As we saw the Iran war happen, Israel’s attitude is still the attitude they had at the beginning of the war, which is that this is necessary to deal with Iran’s nuclear program, and its ballistic missiles, and its allies. And ultimately what the Israelis wanted to see, and what they still want to see, is a different regime in Iran. President Trump may still share those goals, but it is clear that, since the war has not gone as he had hoped, he is looking for an exit strategy and his main target is the Strait of Hormuz, which is not something the Israelis really care about.
I think at this time, when Prime Minister Netanyahu arrives at the White House, he will probably try to convince the president that the original goal should be on the table, that the United States and Israel continue, and President Trump seems to have a different view of things.
And now we have this new deal with Saudi Arabia. Was Israel surprised by the plan?
It completely surprised Israel. When the agreement was announced on Wednesday, it was an agreement to provide Saudi Arabia with nuclear power and nuclear infrastructure. There was no mention of Israel. There was no mention of justification. There was no mention of anything outside the limits of the nuclear agreement.
President Trump on Thursday put his social truth where he said it the program is completely compatible on Saudi Arabia to join The Covenant of Abraham. And the amazing thing about that is that when the deal was announced, he was not mentioned, and the deal was actually signed. So either the president intends to change the terms of the agreement after it is signed, or he is ready to withdraw if this new condition is not met.
Or, and I suspect this is the real answer, he will get some kind of commitment from the Saudis to explore joining the Abraham Accords at some point down the road when Israel has met some conditions and there has been progress toward a Palestinian state. And if that happens, it will leave the Israelis behind. And I think this comes as a big shock to (Israel) given that the previous policy of President Trump was that the agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia would involve normalization.
Was Netanyahu himself surprised by this plan?
I think he must have been surprised by this plan. It is true that Trump and Netanyahu have appeared to have a very bad relationship, not only in this term, but during President Trump’s first term as well. But it is not a relationship of equals.
We’ve seen President Trump – especially in the last few months, I think in response to criticism here in the United States about the role that Israel and the role that the prime minister might have in persuading President Trump to go to war – repeatedly talked about the fact that he’s in charge, that Prime Minister Netanyahu will do what he saysthat he is the judge and Prime Minister Netanyahu is not.
I think they have a good relationship, but President Trump, at least publicly, seems to indicate that he is in charge and wants everyone to know that. I think Prime Minister Netanyahu definitely feels the pressure in this relationship. And when he shows up here tomorrow, he’s going to do whatever he can to try to mend the cracks.
Israel wanted this war, but it hates this deal that the president may have completed with Saudi Arabia. Did they go wrong somewhere in here?
I think the Israelis are wrong in several ways. And the biggest is that from time to time since 2017 or 2018, you hear Israeli officials, political officials, security officials, even ordinary Israelis, constantly talking about. President Trump to be a best friend that Israel has ever had and shows confidence in President Trump that he will never do anything that will strangle Israel.
And most of what they have done has continued on that concept. And although everyone knows the nature of President Trump’s activity, although everyone knows that he is volatile, that he slips on policy issues all the time, the Israelis had this belief that they would always be different from the law. And I think what we are seeing is that there is not necessarily an exception to that rule.
And it is important to emphasize that when it comes to this Saudi nuclear agreement, the problem for the Israelis is not only that it was signed without any sign of legalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia being part of the agreement itself. It could open the door to countries that have signed more restrictive agreements in the region, like UAEdo the same. And finally, all of this is a bet that Saudi Arabia’s trend will continue, that it will continue to modernize, continue to be moderate and pragmatic, and continue to improve relations with Israel.
If not, once you hand over the nuclear program to the Saudis, that is irreversible. People should not forget that Iran’s nuclear program started as a civilian nuclear program that the United States gave up under the Shah. So for the Israelis, the legalization part of this is absolutely terrifying, but the program itself is problematic as well. And I think that is where the Israelis feel fear.
