The US-Saudi Military Pact

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WASHINGTON, D.C. —  An exclusive US-Saudi defense pact is in the works, that would guarantee Saudi Arabia protection by the United States if faced with an attack, in return for Saudi normalizing relations with Israel.

The deal might fall short of a NATO-style "An attack on one ally is considered an attack on all" commitment that the Kingdom had initially sought, but according to US officials quoted by Reuters, the pact could take the shape of those with Japan or South Korea. Sources also say that Saudi Arabia could be designated as a "Major Non-NATO Ally" a status that is currently also given to Israel. 

"Israel is on the cusp of historic peace with Saudi Arabia," Prime Minister Netanyahu announced at the UN General Assembly last week, adding that an agreement will “encourage a broader reconciliation between Judaism and Islam, between Jerusalem and Mecca, between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael.”

In a first-ever all-English interview with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Fox News earlier this month, he said a Saudi-Israeli deal is getting "closer every day, " adding also that "the Palestinian issue is very important to us. We need to resolve it. And the negotiations are progressing well so far."

“Many of the key elements of a pathway towards normalization are now on the table and there is a broad understanding of those elements, which we will not discuss publicly,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an email response to Reuters. 

Yet, even if the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia agree, winning support from lawmakers in the U.S. Congress remains a challenge.

A US-Saudi defense pact, leading to the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations could help Washington counter China's growing influence in the Middle East, particularly after Beijing facilitated reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran early this year, paving the way for peace in Yemen.

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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's interview with Fox News