Former Biden adviser Hochstein rejects Lapid's claim Israel blocked a US-Saudi nuclear agreement
“We negotiated a comprehensive agreement with the kingdom, and at no time did Israel, or any other country, block that deal,” former Biden administration adviser Amos Hochstein said.
Amos Hochstein, a former senior adviser to President Joe Biden, dismissed opposition leader Yair Lapid's claim that Israel had previously blocked a US-Saudi nuclear agreement. Hochstein stated that Washington conducted the negotiations independently and only gained momentum after the Bennett-Lapid government left office. He emphasized that the talks were held directly between the United States and Saudi Arabia, with no external blocking.
Lapid had criticized the proposed nuclear agreement submitted to Congress, describing it as one of the biggest and most dangerous failures of Israeli foreign policy. Hochstein, however, pushed back on the notion that Israel could determine or block US foreign policy, asserting that decisions are made by the United States. He explained that the nuclear agreement was part of a broader normalization package but acknowledged that the final deal was not reached due to other factors.
Hochstein also expressed support for the principle of a US-Saudi nuclear agreement, contingent on it meeting American nonproliferation and security requirements.
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