It took Israel nearly a week to respond — and when it did, it struck an air defense system near Isfahan, home to some critical nuclear facilities. It was a “signal strike” to send two messages: We can hit you whenever and wherever we want, but we don't want a bigger war.
All this made Washington deeply anxious and determined more than ever to find an end to the escalating pressures in the region. In recent months, Team Biden has redoubled its efforts to secure a diplomatic breakthrough with Saudi Arabia, which had indicated before Oct. 7 that it was open to normalizing relations with Israel for the right price.
And that price is high — but Washington seems ready to pay its share. The Biden administration has apparently agreed to provide Saudi Arabia with legally binding security guarantees similar to those it has with Japan and other Asian allies. Most notably, it appears ready to help Saudi Arabia acquire a civilian nuclear program, including a uranium enrichment facility that would be owned and operated by the US but located on Saudi soil.
But the key to a final deal does not lie with Washington or Riyadh – it lies with Israel. Or more precisely with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet.
The US and Saudi Arabia are demanding that Israel agree to a clear, measurable “path” to a Palestinian state. They also want conditions in Gaza to improve significantly so that international forces can be deployed to begin the long and difficult process of reconstruction.
But Netanyahu was clear. He wants no path, let alone a Palestinian state. He wants Israel to control Gaza and the West Bank – though obviously without responsibility for the welfare of its own people.
But Washington and Riyadh offer Israel a better option. Saudi-Israeli normalization would create a strong foundation for fighting Iran and its axis of resistance. It would also bring the US, Israel and the Gulf Arabs into a binding coalition to oppose Iran's regional plans and destabilization.
The alternative is simply more chaos, more war and more escalation. The choice is Israel's.
