Yair Lapid says Trump’s vision of Israeli-Saudi peace is ‘possible’ but not with Netanyahu at the helm

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid believes that peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia will be a historic game-changer for the entire Middle East region. While he thinks U.S. President Donald Trump has exactly the right record to push such a transformational deal to the finish line, he argues that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the wrong man on the Israeli side for the mission. 

“It is known as the normalization deal, but this is the creation of a regional coalition,” Lapid told ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel Rosenberg in the latest episode of THE ROSENBERG REPORT on TBN.

He envisions a coalition that would include Israel’s Abraham Accords partners – Bahrain, the Emirates, Morocco – along with Egypt, Jordan and the Saudi Kingdom. Most importantly, he said, this coalition will come together to take on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its overall destabilizing influence across the region. 

“This includes the necessary military threat to make sure the Iranians understand it is the worst idea ever. They will be attacked by this coalition if they will have nuclear weapons,” stressed Lapid. 

Moreover, he views a NATO-like alliance in the Middle East as a potential answer to other regional challenges – not just Iran. Lapid told Rosenberg that such a coalition should also be involved in the future governing of Gaza, as well as take part in the rebuilding of Syria. 

“You have one concept that serves all purposes that has to do with Israel’s national security,” he explained. “On top of that, this brings to the table unbelievable opportunities to the economy – of both the United States and Israel.” 

“This is actually President Trump's vision. He brought this to the table,” Lapid continued, referring to Trump’s achievements in the Middle East during first term in office.  

“I feel that he didn't get enough credit for the great things he did with the Abraham Accords,” added the opposition leader. 

“This is Nobel Peace Prize material. If not this, then what is?” he wondered. 

In his exclusive conversation with Rosenberg, Lapid struck an optimistic tone regarding the chances of an Israeli-Saudi peace deal materializing during Trump’s second term. He also expressed gratitude and praise for the 47th president for his recent intervention in negotiations that secured a hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. 

Yet according to Lapid, having the right U.S. administration with the right record for the job is not enough for facilitating the greatest transformational deal of all time. It also takes the right leader on behalf of Israel, he argued. 

“I do not believe that the current Israeli government is capable of doing this deal,” he stressed. “The Saudis, the Emirates, the Moroccans, need a more solid Palestinian element into this.”

Lapid was apprehensive to use the term “Palestinian state,” and at times preferred to say “roadmap” instead. He told Rosenberg that at the moment, Israeli society is not in a place of accepting the notion of a Palestinian state. Even more so when it comes to Netanyahu’s government and its supporters. 

“The majority of Israelis look at the situation and say, ‘okay, we're not going to have a Palestinian state in the next ten years, but we have to be able to at least have a vision of the possibility of separating from the Palestinians in a peaceful way one day,” he stated. 

“The members they have in the coalition cannot bring the necessary very minimal Palestinian elements – a component of this deal.”

The second hurdle that Lapid points out pertains to U.S.-Israel relations. In exchange for normalization with the Jewish state, the Saudis are reportedly expecting a defense pact with the Americans. A treaty of this kind would require the approval of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. 

“In order to do this, you will have to have an Israeli government that is capable of working on both sides of the aisle,” Lapid told Rosenberg.

He made the case that Netanyahu has aligned Israel’s interest with a lean towards the Republican party and therefore has little sway with moderate Democrats. 

“Right now, the current Israeli government – and it's a mistake - has led itself towards the Republicans… but you are going to need 67 votes. You're going to need people who know how to work with Democrats as well,” he argued.

By such “people,” Lapid likely means himself.  

“We will have to be able to be smart about how we're working with APAC about this and our very dear Evangelical friends,” he concluded.

Watch Joel Rosenberg’s full interview with Yair Lapid on the TBN website.  

THE ROSENBERG REPORT airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. EST and Saturday nights at 10:00 p.m. EST – on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the most-watched Christian television network in the United States.