Afrasianet - Saudi Arabia reiterated that the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel will not take place without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in a situation that may impede US President Donald Trump's efforts to link the civilian nuclear agreement with Riyadh to normalization with Israel.
According to a report published by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday evening, Trump referred the civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, but stipulated that it would not enter into force until the kingdom joined the Abraham Accords.
The report quoted a US administration source as saying that "the president's position has not changed, and the agreement will only move forward with Saudi Arabia's accession to the Abraham Accords."
The condition followed the signing of the agreement last month by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
A source in Riyadh confirmed to Israel's Channel 12 that "the Saudi position is clear, firm and unwavering," adding, "There will be no diplomatic relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital."
He stressed that the civilian nuclear program is "part of the partnership between Riyadh and Washington, and should not be tied to relations with Israel."
The agreement lasts for 30 years and aims to establish a legal framework that would allow the United States to transfer civilian nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, with U.S. companies expected to participate in the construction of advanced nuclear reactors in a deal that could be worth tens of billions of dollars.
The possibility of Saudi Arabia establishing a future uranium enrichment facility remains one of the most sensitive files. According to the report, Washington and Riyadh will conduct a joint study for two years to discuss the need for such a facility, while Trump stressed that "there will be no uranium enrichment."
The agreement is scheduled to remain before Congress for 90 days for review, and if its members do not object, it will go into effect, provided that Trump's condition regarding the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel is met.
________________
