Israeli press review: US-Saudi nuclear deal slammed as Netanyahu's 'failure'

What Happened

Israeli politicians reacted with alarm on Wednesday after reports that the United States had agreed to provide Saudi Arabia with a 30-year civilian nuclear programme that could permit uranium enrichment. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal detailed that US President Donald Trump approved the deal requested by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Opposition figure Avigdor Liberman warned the programme would end with nuclear weapons and a regional arms race, urging Israeli lobbying in Congress to block it. Yair Golan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of losing normalisation with Saudi Arabia while enabling its nuclear capability. Benny Gantz added that Netanyahu’s government harms Israeli security and misses Middle East opportunities. Separately, President Isaac Herzog stated that the Shin Bet security agency and the Central Elections Committee had alerted him to threats against the integrity of the 27 October elections, urging candidates not to cross red lines. The State Attorney’s Office also announced it would charge former National Security Ministry official Israel Avishar over the illegal distribution of gun licences under Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s post‑7 October 2023 expansion.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The reported US-Saudi nuclear deal threatens to upend Israel’s long-standing security doctrine of preventing regional nuclear proliferation, risking a Middle East arms race with Saudi enrichment capability. It also underscores Israel’s diplomatic isolation and the collapse of its strategy to normalise ties with Riyadh without addressing Palestinian statehood, leaving a legacy of perceived failure for Netanyahu’s government.

Watch For

Israeli lobbying in the US Congress to block the nuclear agreement; any Saudi moves toward uranium enrichment; the impact on Israel–Saudi normalisation efforts and demands linked to a Palestinian deal; President Herzog’s monitoring of election integrity ahead of the 27 October vote; legal proceedings against Israel Avishar and scrutiny of Ben Gvir’s expanded gun licence programme.