ALBAWABA- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any potential normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia would depend on Riyadh refraining from supporting actors that attack Israel or deny its legitimacy, underscoring Israel’s security-first approach to regional diplomacy.
Speaking at the Second International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel is closely monitoring discussions around Saudi-Israeli normalization but stressed that peace cannot come at the expense of Israeli security.
“Anyone who wants to normalize with us must not join or support entities that attack Israel or deny its legitimacy,” he said, adding that he would welcome an agreement with Saudi Arabia “if Saudi Arabia desires that with a secure and strong Israel.”
His remarks come as Saudi officials continue to condition normalization on concrete and irreversible steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu reiterated his rejection of that demand, ruling out the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza during the same press conference.
Netanyahu also framed Israel’s security environment as a confrontation with what he described as two ideological blocs. He said Israel is facing an “Iranian Shiite axis” comprising Iran, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, while warning of a separate challenge from what he called an extremist Sunni axis linked to Turkey and Qatar, under the pretext of the Muslim Brotherhood.
“We will defend ourselves,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing Israel’s military readiness and capabilities. He added that Israel possesses “an army that is second to none” and a new generation prepared to fight, while questioning whether Western countries are equally prepared to confront what he described as shared threats. “The question,” he said, “is whether the West will defend itself.”
The comments reflect Netanyahu’s broader provocative strategy of prioritizing military strength, opposing both Iran-aligned forces and Sunni Islamist movements, and maintaining Israeli security control over Gaza, including demilitarization, before any reconstruction or political process.
While signaling openness to regional normalization, Netanyahu made clear that such agreements would be acceptable only if they reinforced Israel’s security, met Israel's conditions, and reflected his perspective on international legitimacy.
