Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of moving closer to regional players hostile to Israel, signaling that normalization between Jerusalem and Riyadh is unlikely anytime soon.
Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said he is closely watching Saudi Arabia's growing engagement with Turkey and Qatar, both longtime critics of Israel, The Times of Israel reported.
"We expect from anybody who wants normalization or peace with us that they not participate in efforts steered by forces or ideologies that want the opposite of peace," Netanyahu said in response to a question from The Times of Israel.
Before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist invasion of southern Israel, normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia appeared imminent. Two Israeli ministers made unprecedented visits to the kingdom, and the Biden administration was actively pushing both sides toward a deal.
That momentum collapsed after the Hamas attack and the war in Gaza that followed.
During the conflict, Saudi Arabia hardened its stance, demanding Israeli commitment to Palestinian statehood — a position Netanyahu opposes and that has little public support in Israel following the massacre.
President Donald Trump, who brokered the Abraham Accords during his first term, has repeatedly expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would eventually join the normalization framework.
After the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire, Trump reportedly told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he expected Riyadh to move forward now that fighting had ended.
Instead, Saudi Arabia has pursued a major regional realignment, including a growing rivalry with the United Arab Emirates, one of Israel's closest Arab allies.
In December, Crown Prince Mohammed signed agreements with Qatar's Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani and discussed expanded defense cooperation.
Riyadh is also reportedly in talks with Turkey about joining a mutual defense pact that would include Pakistan.
As Saudi Arabia has distanced itself from the UAE, Saudi media coverage of Israel has also turned increasingly hostile.
"There's been a clear Saudi shift of late in rhetoric, in heavily criticizing Israel, and in policy, especially in countering UAE," said Michael Makovsky, president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
Netanyahu said those moves undermine prospects for peace.
"Such efforts reject the legitimacy of the State of Israel, and nurture all kinds of forces that attack the State of Israel," he said.
Netanyahu added he remains open to normalization "provided they want normalization and peace with a secure and strong Israel."
Saudi officials, however, have sent the opposite message.
In December, the kingdom's former intelligence chief said Riyadh is “not considering a normalization deal with Israel” unless Israel begins acting like a “normal country.”
Trump has reportedly expressed frustration with Saudi reluctance, with Israeli media reporting he was left "disappointed and angry" after a tense exchange with bin Salman over normalization.
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