Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in an interview with i24NEWS that Israel does not need to rush into normalization with Saudi Arabia.
In the televised discussion, Abdul-Hussain stated that Israel lived for 77 years without official ties with the Saudis and can live another 77 years if necessary. He argued that normalization should not be framed as a “reward” granted by Riyadh, but rather as a strategic partnership that serves the interests of both nations.
According to Abdul-Hussain, any future agreement must be based on mutual benefit — including security cooperation, economic growth, and regional stability — rather than symbolic gestures or political pressure. His remarks come amid ongoing regional discussions about potential Saudi-Israeli ties and the broader reshaping of alliances in the Middle East.
He emphasized that normalization would strengthen both countries in confronting shared threats, particularly from Iran and its regional proxies, but suggested that Israel is not in a position of desperation and should negotiate from strength.
