A new nuclear agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia has sparked unease in Israel, with political leaders and security figures warning it could accelerate a regional race for nuclear capability.
The agreement, announced on Wednesday, would allow Saudi Arabia to build nuclear reactors using U.S. technology and enrich uranium as part of a civilian nuclear energy programme. The deal still requires approval from the U.S. Congress before it can take effect.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his defence and foreign ministers, has yet to comment publicly on the agreement. But critics argue the arrangement could undermine Israel’s long-term security.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is challenging Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 election, described the deal as a major strategic setback.
“The nuclear agreement being finalised with Saudi Arabia, without Israel’s involvement, is a serious strategic failure that puts our security at risk,” Bennett said.
He warned that allowing uranium enrichment on Saudi soil could open the door to a wider nuclear race across the Middle East.
Former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman echoed those concerns, saying Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear programme could eventually evolve into a military one.
“In the end, this civilian programme will become a military programme and ignite a dangerous arms race across the region,” Lieberman said.
Israel, widely believed to possess the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, should oppose the agreement and lobby U.S. lawmakers to block it, he added.
Washington and Riyadh have been discussing a civilian nuclear partnership for years, spanning both President Donald Trump’s first administration and that of former President Joe Biden.
Previous efforts failed to produce an agreement, partly because nuclear non-proliferation experts warned that allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium could provide a pathway to developing nuclear weapons.
Many in Israel had also hoped any nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia would be tied to a broader normalisation agreement between the two countries, an idea that featured prominently in the Biden administration’s regional strategy.
Former defence chief Benny Gantz said the agreement, without a wider regional security framework, raises serious questions for Israel.
“I don’t know of any security official who would say introducing civilian nuclear capabilities into Saudi Arabia, without making it part of a broader alliance of moderate states, serves Israel’s security interests,” Gantz said.
