Currently, the US and Saudi Arabia are finalizing a bilateral security deal which aims to limit China's influence on the Middle East and isolate Iran.
However, despite Israel's aspirations to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia, and pressure from the US to turn the bilateral agreement into a trilateral agreement, the normalization efforts have stalled, mainly due to Saudi Arabia's insistence on tying a Palestinian state into any such deal, and Israel's refusal to do so.
The New York Times detailed Saudi Arabia's demands as the IDF's complete withdrawal from Gaza - despite Hamas' promises to carry out multiple future "October 7ths" -as well as freezing construction in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and embarking on a three- to five-year "pathway" to establish a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria. Under such a deal, the Palestinian Authority would undertake reforms "to make it a governing body that Palestinians trust and see as legitimate and Israelis see as effective."
According to the Times, US and Saudi officials understand that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not agree to such terms, and are considering finalizing the deal without Israel, while including a proviso that Saudi Arabia will normalize relations with Israel the moment Israel has a government willing to cave to the US and Saudi Arabia's demands.
At the same time, no decision has been made yet.
The Times also noted that the Arab states which helped Israel fend off a massive Iranian attack last month "cannot afford to appear to be defending Israel indefinitely" if Israel is not willing to withdraw from Gaza, Judea, and Samaria.
