Senior Saudi officials: Doubtful that Israel's next PM can advance normalization

Senior Saudi officials express serious doubt that Israel's next prime minister—whether Gadi Eisenkot or Benjamin Netanyahu—will be able to advance normalization. They condition this on progress in the Palestinian issue, while also sharply criticizing Israel's policy toward Iran, which they call 'amateurish'.

Senior Saudi officials express serious doubt that Israel's next prime minister—whether Gadi Eisenkot or Benjamin Netanyahu—will have enough political power to lead normalization with the kingdom, as learned by 'Hayom'. The officials note they do not know former IDF chief Eisenkot deeply and questioned his ability to 'change the direction of the Israeli ship'. At the same time, they condition any progress in normalization on a 'credible path to a Palestinian state'—a condition that includes stopping violent Jewish riots against Palestinians, evacuating farms, and freezing settlement construction. Meanwhile, sharp criticism was leveled at Israel's policy toward Iran: the officials described Operation 'Roar of the Lion' as an 'amateurish plan' and 'half-baked', and accused Israel of dragging the region into a war that severely harms the Gulf economy—rising insurance costs, a slowdown in construction, cancellation of cultural events, damage to tourism, and the shutdown of three airports. However, the officials tried to allay Israeli concerns about a change of leadership in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that policy will not change and that the kingdom can serve as a restraining force against the Palestinians. Public opinion, they said, is not a factor in the kingdom's decisions, but the ruler's relations with tribal leaders require consensus.