Israel’s President Reveals ‘Dream’ of Peace With Saudi Ar...

By Jennifer Cunningham in Jerusalem and Tom O'ConnorShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

As a ceasefire overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump in the Gaza Strip offers the prospect of a broader end to violence in the Middle East, Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Newsweek that he dreams of celebrating peace with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Speaking at his residence in Jerusalem, the Israeli head of state spoke of the opportunity he saw after two years of conflict during which the country under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been engaged not only in its bloodiest combat with Hamas and other Palestinian factions but has also launched strikes against Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Yemeni Houthis and other forces in Syria.

“It would be my dream to be able to celebrate peace, for example, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia,” Herzog said. “Because I think that the cradle of Islam and the cradle of the monotheistic religion and the cradle of Judaism together will change the world.”

“That would be a great moment for me, personally, and for the region,” he said, adding that there is “still a lot to do.”

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'A Generational Issue'

It’s no secret that peace with Riyadh is the crown jewel of Israel’s efforts to normalize its position in the region.

The ask is tall as Saudi Arabia has emphasized such a step can only be taken in response to an Israeli roadmap toward Palestinian statehood, an issue on which Herzog declines to weigh in directly given his position as head of state.

Israeli attitudes on the prospect of once again going down the path of negotiating toward Palestinian independence have been deeply impacted by the war, bringing a sense of mistrust and trauma also felt by Palestinians as a result of the conflict, which continues to claim lives despite the ceasefire. But the benefits of unlocking a historic arrangement with Saudi Arabia are considerable.

Saudi Arabia holds a unique place in the Arab and Islamic worlds as the birthplace of Islam and custodian of its two holiest cities—Mecca and Medina (the third holiest is Jerusalem, Israel, the same location as Judaism’s holiest site). Saudi Arabia’s influence is only compounded in recent years by its fast-growing economy, increasing geopolitical weight and ongoing transformation led by de factor leader Prince Mohammed, known widely by his initials, MBS.

A normalization agreement would thus have the potential to reshape Israel’s position for which it has been locked in a series of conflicts since its establishment in 1948.

And yet, through that first war fought against a coalition of neighboring Arab nations that attacked Israel at its birth, and in several more wars to follow, Herzog said opportunities for peace have often emerged from the ashes of conflict.

“In 1948, when we were surrounded and attacked by seven nations, we were all alone,” Herzog said. “There was no one around us that had any relations with us. In 1967, when we won a war after the enemies declared that they were throwing us to the sea within a couple of days, this was another step. In 1973, there was another war, which was a painful war, but led then to the first peace agreement with Egypt.

“And after that cornerstone of the peace agreement with Egypt, we had another war also, in Lebanon. Slowly but surely, it led to Oslo peace accords, then peace with Jordan, then negotiations, of course, with our neighbors, efforts, ongoing efforts, and an evolution at the end, which today enables Israel to have relations with many Muslim countries around us.”

With each successive conflict and the unstoppable passage of time, he said those across the Middle East have come to realize Israel’s permanence even in the face of constant threats, albeit gradually and at great cost.

“Israel is here to stay forever,” Herzog said. “They have to realize it. It takes time. It's a generational issue. They realize it more and more, they are interested, the Arabs around us, all the millions and hundreds of millions.

“They read about us, they learn about us. They're interested in us. We're intertwined with our neighbors. I think the future of this region is a dialogue between Jew and Muslim. I see incredible phenomenon of Muslim leaders and Muslim activists coming from all over the world to meet us and pray with us and talk to us.”

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A New 'Master of the Game'

Among the most notable developments in the quest for Israeli normalization was the advent of the Abraham Accords in 2020, a series of agreements led by Trump in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco became the first four Arab nations to establish lasting diplomatic ties with Israel since the past deals with Egypt and Jordan.

At the time, a deal with Saudi Arabia appeared within reach. Yet progress slowed in 2021 amid a change of administration in Washington and tough demands from Riyadh that included U.S. defense guarantees, nuclear cooperation and, most complex of all, a concrete pathway to Palestinian statehood.

Talks would persist for the next two years, often in quiet, until the event that would shatter all notions of complacency toward the Israeli-Palestinian status quo. Hamas’ sudden attack on October 7, 2023, marked the deadliest day in Israeli history, sparking a war that has enflamed regional tempers and set off a regional conflict involving Iran and its allies operating on seven fronts.

About 1,200 Israelis were killed in the initial attack, with another 251 abducted by Hamas, according to Israeli officials. Hundreds more Israeli civilians and soldiers have been killed in the ensuing war. The Hamas-led Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza estimates that about 70,000 Palestinians have been killed throughout the conflict, with thousands more reported dead from Israeli strikes in other fronts, including the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran.

It would take another two years and Trump’s return to office before new frameworks for the region could be seriously considered. Herzog describes Trump as a new "master of the game”—referencing Martin Indyk’s 2021 book of the same name on former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger—in leading an “outstanding effort” to reshape the Middle East in the post-war era.

And it’s not just Saudi Arabia. Herzog sees an opportunity to strike a new deal with Syria that goes beyond the post-1973 ceasefire agreement struck with then-President Hafez al-Assad.

With Assad’s son, Bashar, ousted a year ago, thus ending a half-century of Baathist rule in the neighboring nation, Islamist militant chief-turned-interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has emerged as an unlikely partner for Trump and candidate for the Abraham Accords.

Herzog, like many Israeli officials, continues to view Sharaa with caution, particularly given his jihadi past and ongoing reports of the targeting of minorities, such as the Druze, of which Israel also has a substantial population. But he also sees the potential for striking an agreement that he said would prove “an incredible moment for the region.”

“We realize the internal tension in Syria between the factions,” Herzog said. “We've seen what happened in Sweida, and we have certain prerequisites, for example, an open corridor, so that we can help our brothers and sisters, the Druze, if necessary.

“But on the other hand, I think it's also a huge opportunity to change the regional map and draw a new equilibrium. And I think if we can reach an agreement with Syria, I would not say yet a peace agreement, but an agreement with Syria, which will follow the agreement which took place in 1973 following the war, but now a new agreement which gives more relations and contact, it would be fantastic.”

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'Think Towards the Future'

In Lebanon, too, Herzog sees potential to avoid another conflict, though he believes doing so would require the Lebanese government, particularly President Joseph Aoun, to be more assertive in ensuring Hezbollah’s disarmament, a task with no guarantee of success, even with the White House’s pressure.

And it remains to be seen whether peace will prevail on any front. As the precarious ceasefire gradually proceeds to its next stages, Hamas remains active and operational despite considerable losses and has rejected calls for disarmament.

But even in the midst of the uncertainty that surrounds these tumultuous moments in the Middle East, Herzog believes many Arab leaders share the desire to work together toward mutual stability.

“I maintain very strong relations with many Arab leaders, with many important leaders in the region,” Herzog said. “And when you talk to each other, you understand that there's a common vision here, despite the threats, there are enormous threats.”

After all, Herzog said, “we are all children of Abraham,” and now, “there is a movement” in support of dialogue, even in the face of those who wish to suppress it.

“With all the threats that we have, we've overcome each and every one of them in this war,” Herzog said. “We were brave and heroic and doing good for the world despite the enormous, enormous hate and attacks on us, mostly fake news or terrible blasphemy that was intended to destroy us.

“And now is an opportunity, and I think that what I really am impressed is by the fact that President Trump insists on changing the equation, not just standing and waiting. I know it's not easy. I know it's difficult. There are many worries, but we should think big and think towards the future.”

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