Saudi sources say normalization with Israel by the end of year is ‘virtually impossible’

The source noted that Prince Mohammed views recognition as conditional upon Israel taking “an irrevocable, major step toward a Palestinian state.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Despite President Donald Trump’s confidence that he can deliver Saudi-Israeli normalization before year’s end, officials and analysts in Riyadh say such an agreement remains out of reach for now.

Saudi commentators close to the royal court say normalization with Israel remains remote.

“A deal this year is virtually impossible unless a miraculous change occurs in Israel,” said Ali Shihabi, a veteran analyst with ties to the leadership.

He noted that Prince Mohammed views recognition as conditional upon Israel taking “an irrevocable, major step toward a Palestinian state.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his coalition have repeatedly rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood, and public opinion in Israel—still raw from the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023—largely supports that position.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is preparing for his first visit to Washington in seven years, reportedly scheduled for mid-November.

While Trump hopes to secure a breakthrough on normalization during the trip, Saudi officials indicate that the kingdom’s immediate goals lie elsewhere chiefly, finalizing a mutual defense pact with the United States and advancing a civilian nuclear program.

According to American officials familiar with the talks, the defense agreement would resemble the security pact Washington recently signed with Qatar, committing the US to treat any armed attack on Saudi Arabia as a threat to its own security.

Riyadh is also seeking approval to purchase F-35 stealth fighters and access to US nuclear technology for civilian purposes—two long-term strategic objectives for the crown prince.

Riyadh continues to see normalization as its last major source of leverage on the Palestinian issue. “The kingdom wants to use that card to resolve the problem once and for all, for the sake of lasting regional stability,” Shihabi said.

Trump, who brokered the Gaza ceasefire earlier this month, remains determined to press the matter. “They couldn’t have done it during the war,” he told Fox Business, predicting that with calm restored, “it will happen.”