Opposition leader Yair Lapid has been expressing criticism about recent reports of a potential Isaeli-Saudi deal. According to reports, as part of a deal, Saudi Arabia is demanding, among other things, that the US support a Saudi civilian nuclear program. Lapid, who signed a controversial maritime deal with Lebanon without Knesset approval during his short stint as a caretaker prime minister, told Channel 12 News: “Israel cannot agree to uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia because it endangers Israel’s security, and that is now on the table.” Lapid also met with a delegation of Democratic Congress members visiting Israel last week and told them that the agreement endangers Israel’s security and that of the region. In response, senior US officials slammed Lapid, telling Ynet that “Lapid is in the opposition and he’s criticizing the deal because he doesn’t want to allow Netanyahu to reach this achievement.” The Likud party responded by stating that “it’s better if Lapid, who gave Hezbollah free Israeli gas reserves, will refrain from preaching to Netanyahu, who will continue to protect Israel’s security and vital interests in any peace deal.” That being said, Israeli security officials do have concerns about the kingdom’s demand for a nuclear program. In an interview with Radio 103FM on Sunday, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen suggested that the US sign a nuclear defense pact with the kingdom, promising to strike Iran if it bombs Saudi Arabia in lieu of backing a Saudi nuclear program. US officials also told Ynet that the chances of a US-brokered Saudi-Israel deal are low – with only about a 30-35% chance of a deal being reached. Meanwhile, Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef al-Sudairi over the weekend became the kingdom’s first-ever ambassador to “Palestine,” with Sudairi presenting his credentials to a PA diplomatic adviser at the Palestinian embassy in Amman. However, Sudairi will be a non-resident consul only as Israel will not allow the opening of a diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem. According to Foreign Minister Cohen, the Saudi move is a symbolic gesture to the Palestinians as rumors swirl about a possible Israeli-Saudi deal. “The Saudis wanted to send a message to the Palestinians that they didn’t forget them,” Cohen said on 103FM. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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