Saudi Arabia leans toward China, clarifies to Trump: recognition of Israel not a condition for nuclear deal
Saudi Arabia clarifies to Trump that recognition of Israel is not a condition for the civilian nuclear agreement, and threatens to turn to China if the deal is not implemented. A Saudi analyst told 'Al-Yom' that the demand was not included in the agreement document, and another commentator noted that a withdrawal would lead Saudi Arabia to seek alternatives.
Saudi Arabia clarifies to US President Donald Trump that recognition of Israel is not a condition for the civilian nuclear agreement signed last week between the countries. A Saudi analyst told 'Al-Yom' that if Saudi recognition of Israel were an official condition, it would have been included in the agreement document and raised in the talks preceding the signing. According to him, Trump primarily addressed his own public in an attempt to allay concerns in Israel and the US. However, the analyst emphasized that Saudi Arabia has not retreated from its demand for normalization with Israel on the condition that a 'credible path to a Palestinian state' is established. Saudi commentator Fadl al-Buainain, affiliated with the regime, wrote in an article that Trump tried to link the nuclear deal to the Abraham Accords, a condition not included in the agreement. He threatened that any withdrawal from completing the agreement would force Saudi Arabia to seek alternatives, and China is one of them – a scenario the US does not want. The agreement, announced last week, includes strategic cooperation between the US and Saudi Arabia in the civilian nuclear field, similar to facilities in the UAE.