United States Senator Lindsey Graham told The Jerusalem Post’s Washington Conference that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not recognize Israel unless he can claim a “better outcome” for Palestinians — not out of ideology, but for his own political survival. According to Graham, without such a package, “he will get killed,” underscoring the internal pressure MBS faces as he tries to modernize the region.

Graham stressed that supporting Palestinian aspirations must never come at Israel’s expense and certainly not as a reward for Hamas’s massacre. He said the only viable path to Saudi–Israel normalization is built on “real security fundamentals,” meaning the complete dismantling of Iranian proxy forces threatening Israel.

“There is no hope for a Saudi-Israel deal unless you do away with Hamas and Hezbollah,” he said. “Neutralize the threat, and then you can talk rationally.”