Statements by Saudi and Israeli officials suggested that a normalization agreement between their countries was imminent, but political, security and diplomatic obstacles still constitute a barrier to this historic step in the Middle East.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the Kingdom, said in an interview last week with Fox News that the talks are getting closer every day to achieving results that could rearrange the cards in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly that the two countries are on the cusp of a "historic peace." US President Joe Biden is also looking forward to reaching an agreement before he gets busy with next year's presidential elections, according to officials familiar with the talks.

The following are questions and answers that address the possibilities of reaching an agreement:

In a meeting with Biden in New York last week, Netanyahu said that “such a peace would go a long way toward ending the Arab-Israeli conflict.” This would also represent a major political victory for a prime minister facing corruption accusations at home and protests against judicial reform plans.
Riyadh has always linked the issue of normalizing its relations with Israel to the Palestinian issue. In 2020, under American sponsorship, normalization agreements were concluded between Israel, Morocco, the UAE, and Bahrain, which the Palestinians considered “treason.”

Last year, Saudi officials presented to Washington their conditions for taking a similar step, which include security guarantees and assistance in building a civilian nuclear program and the ability to enrich uranium.
It seems that Biden is excited about the prospect of achieving a major foreign policy achievement that could help stabilize the Middle East and reduce the threat posed by Iran, before the upcoming US elections.

Former American diplomat Dennis Ross believes that the Biden team is also motivated by the desire to reaffirm Washington's influence in the region where China has achieved progress.
Ross, a former Middle East peace envoy who currently works as a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says, “Saudi demands from the (US) administration are great, but it is clear that the administration (...) is ready to try to reach a result.”

The New York Times reported last week that American officials are looking into a “mutual defense treaty” with Saudi Arabia similar to existing agreements with Japan and South Korea, but noted that this “will certainly raise strong objections in Congress.”

It is still unclear what form the potential security agreement between Washington and Riyadh will take.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies research believes that Washington should consider classifying Riyadh as a “major defense partner” or a “major non-NATO ally,” so that the same obligations are not imposed on it towards its allies in NATO.

Helping build a nuclear program would also raise questions among American lawmakers, noting that press reports confirm Israel's rejection of this request.

Riyadh says that its program will be peaceful, although Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his interview with Fox News, repeated the Kingdom’s position that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, Riyadh must obtain it as well.

Given the many criticisms of the Kingdom's human rights record, any deal that deepens US relations with Saudi Arabia may face objections within the United States.

“U.S. lawmakers should never allow a security agreement that commits the U.S. military to shedding blood to protect a brutal dictatorship,” said Abdullah Al-Awda, Saudi director of the Washington-based Freedom Initiative.

Saudi Arabia has long said that it will not establish relations with Israel without a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In August, the Kingdom appointed its first non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories. Today he is on a visit to the Palestinian territories.

Speaking to Fox News, Prince Mohammed bin Salman confirmed that the Palestinian issue is “important” for Riyadh, adding, “We hope that it will lead to a result that makes life easier for the Palestinians and allows Israel to play a role in the Middle East.”

It is unclear whether Netanyahu can make effective concessions while heading a government that Biden described as “extremist.”

"This will be a difficult test," Ross says, adding, "I don't know if it's possible."
Persuading Saudi Arabia to establish relations with Israel would provide cover for countries that have joined the normalization agreements or are considering such a step. However, hostility towards Israel is deeply rooted in countries in the region.

Reports last month that Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush met with her Israeli counterpart sparked protests that led to her dismissal.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, whose country has influence in several Arab countries, said in New York that Saudi Arabia's normalization of its relations with Israel would constitute a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

Analyst Hisham Al-Ghannam wrote this month in the Saudi magazine Al-Majalla that there is no doubt that all considerations related to the Palestinians are on the minds of Saudi leaders.

He considered that "establishing diplomatic relations between the Kingdom and Israel before (the latter) commits to major concessions to the Palestinians does not provide added value to Saudi security and national interests."