US President Donald Trump's approval of a civilian nuclear energy cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia has caused serious concern in Israel. Assessments reflected in the Israeli press suggest this step could alter the regional balance of power.
According to a report by Yedioth Ahronot, based on unnamed senior Israeli officials, the Washington administration's move is described as a 'worrying' development. The officials particularly noted that the US did not condition the signing of the nuclear deal on Riyadh normalizing ties with Israel.
Israeli sources state that this situation indicates Tel Aviv's influence in Washington is weakening and that it has lost one of its leverage tools over Saudi Arabia. Former acting head of Israel's National Security Council Yaakov Nagel said that allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own soil would be a major mistake.
Former Israeli diplomat Jeremy Issacharoff described the deal as 'extremely dangerous.' Issacharoff said this step reveals that Israel's ability to influence Washington's policies on critical national security issues has diminished.
According to earlier reports in US media, the deal approved by President Trump covers a 30-year plan to develop civilian nuclear infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.