Saudi Arabia shifts focus from US defense treaty to limited military cooperation with Israel normalization stalled

Saudi Arabia has shifted its focus from seeking a comprehensive defense treaty with the U.S. in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel to pursuing a more limited military cooperation agreement. This change comes amid rising public anger in the region over Israel's actions in Gaza. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman now insists that any recognition of Israel must be linked to concrete steps toward establishing a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces domestic opposition to concessions for Palestinian statehood, complicating the normalization process. The new agreement under discussion would enhance military collaboration, including joint exercises and technology investments, but would not provide the binding defense commitments initially sought by Saudi Arabia. The U.S. hopes to finalize this deal before President Biden leaves office in January.