Report: Netanyahu has decided not to seek normalization with Saudi Arabia before US elections

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided not to pursue potential normalization with Saudi Arabia before the US presidential election in November, Channel 12 reports.

It says Netanyahu made the decision at the same time as the fast-moving US political developments, with the consideration that it might be worth waiting to see whether Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump is elected.

The report says the decision has major implications, including for a potential hostage-ceasefire deal, since potential normalization would have constituted a “safety net” for Netanyahu: if his right-wing coalition were to collapse during disagreements over a Gaza deal, normalization with Saudi Arabia would have given him an election-boosting trump card and the opportunity to secure a historic legacy.

The unsourced report comes barely a week after an Israeli official told reporters in a briefing in Washington, DC that a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia was still possible before the November presidential election, and that Netanyahu discussed the matter with US President Joe Biden during their White House meeting.