JERUSALEM — A newly announced agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia is raising serious alarm in Israel, with former officials warning that allowing the kingdom to enrich uranium could trigger a nuclear arms race across the Middle East.
The deal, announced Wednesday, would permit Saudi Arabia to construct nuclear reactors using American technology and to enrich uranium as part of a civilian nuclear program. The agreement still requires approval from the U.S. Congress before it can take effect.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his defense and foreign ministers, have not yet issued any public statement on the matter. Critics, however, are already arguing that the deal puts Israel’s long-term security at risk.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is campaigning to unseat Netanyahu in an October 27 election, was sharply critical of the arrangement. “The nuclear agreement that is coming together with Saudi Arabia, over Israel’s head, is a serious strategic failure that endangers our security,” Bennett said. “Nuclear enrichment on Saudi soil could lead to a regional nuclear race and a dangerous loss of control.”
Former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman echoed those concerns, warning that “the civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia will end in nuclear weapons and will lead to a crazy arms race throughout the entire Middle East.” He called on Israel to actively oppose the deal and push Congress to block it.
Israel is widely believed to possess the only nuclear arsenal in the region, though the country has never officially confirmed or denied it.
Efforts to reach a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia have been ongoing for years, spanning both President Donald Trump’s first term and the administration of former President Joe Biden. Previous attempts fell apart in part due to warnings from nuclear nonproliferation groups, who cautioned that such a deal could give Saudi Arabia a potential pathway to develop nuclear weapons.
Many Israelis had hoped that any nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would be tied to a broader normalization deal between the two countries, as envisioned under the Biden administration’s framework.
Former defense chief Benny Gantz stressed that the deal should not be viewed in isolation. “There is no security official who would say that introducing civilian nuclear capability into Saudi Arabia without integrating the move as part of building a moderate regional alliance is a step that is good for Israel’s security,” Gantz said.
