is on the cards. “Every day we get closer. It seems it’s for the first time real, serious.” A pact would, he said, be “the biggest historical deal since the Cold War.” On September 22nd Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, confirmed the trio of countries were “at the cusp” of a deal. It would, he said, be a “quantum leap”.
Yet the incentives to do a deal have sharpened. For the Saudis, the motivation is a new strategic alliance with America. The two countries have a security relationship but the kingdom wants a more formal defence pact, not least because Iran’s intensifying nuclear programme means it is now on the threshold of having nuclear weapons, upending the region’s security balance.
A deal could create shock waves in Israeli politics with unpredictable consequences. His hardline coalition includes parties which represent the religious Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank who oppose any concessions to the Palestinians. The settlers are well-represented within his own Likud party as well. All warn they will oppose any compromise or any deal where Israel has to relinquish control over any territory.