A Gateway to a Regional Nuclear Race
The author analyzes the civilian nuclear agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia in the Trump era, arguing it opens the door to a regional nuclear race. He criticizes Netanyahu for the lack of Israeli criticism and for weakening Israel's position on the Palestinian issue.
The author, Avi Kalo, analyzes the emerging civilian nuclear agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia in the Trump era, arguing it constitutes an opening for a regional nuclear race. He quotes Biden, who said in 2022 that any nuclear agreement must serve Israel's security and prevent nuclear proliferation, and that the US links civilian nuclear power to normalization. In contrast, Trump is rushing to grant the Saudi crown prince a bilateral agreement without conditions such as joining the IAEA Additional Protocol or forgoing domestic enrichment. The author argues that the agreement does not formally tie normalization with Israel and weakens Israel's position on the Palestinian issue. He warns that if Riyadh breaks the nuclear barrier, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran will follow suit, leading to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. He criticizes Netanyahu for his problematic legacy and the lack of open Israeli criticism of the agreement.