Khaberni - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he is closely monitoring the transformation witnessed in Saudi politics, especially Riyadh's rapprochement with both Turkey and Qatar.
Netanyahu said during a press conference in response to a question from the "Times of Israel," "Israel expects any party seeking normalization or peace with it not to participate in efforts led by forces or ideologies that work against the course of peace."
Before the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the war that broke out as a result, normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia seemed only a matter of time. The weeks preceding the attack saw unprecedented visits by two Israeli ministers to the Kingdom, at a time when the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden was strongly pressing for an agreement.
During the war, Riyadh adopted a tougher stance, demanding Israel commit to establishing a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu rejects.
In this context, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed during his first term his hope that Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords, which established normalization between Israel and several Arab countries in 2020. After the ceasefire in Gaza in October 2025, reports indicated that Trump informed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of his expectation that Riyadh would move towards normalization with Israel after the end of the fighting.
In December, bin Salman signed a series of agreements with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and discussed deepening defense cooperation between the two countries. There were also talks about Saudi discussions with Turkey, one of Israel's main regional rivals, aimed at joining a mutual defense pact that includes Pakistan.
Both Turkey and Qatar play roles as mediators in the American-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza, and their leaders have established close relations with Trump since his return to power.
The "Times of Israel" reported that with bin Salman's rapprochement with Turkey and Qatar, the tone of Saudi media has recently shifted towards a more hostile stance towards Israel and Jews.
Michael Makovsky, President and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said that there is a clear Saudi shift recently, both in rhetoric that strongly criticizes Israel and in policies.
Netanyahu said that these efforts reject the legitimacy of the state of Israel and feed various forces attacking it.
He added that he would be happy to strike a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, provided that it is within the framework of peace with a strong and secure Israel.
