JERUSALEM, Israel: A new agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia would allow Saudi Arabia to build nuclear reactors using American technology and to enrich uranium. This has raised concerns in Israel that it could start an arms race in the Middle East.

The agreement was announced on Wednesday, but it still needs approval from the U.S. Congress. It is intended to help Saudi Arabia develop a civilian nuclear program, and according to a Truth Social post by President Trump on Thursday, the deal is subject to Saudi Arabia entering into diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with the defense and foreign ministers, has not yet commented on the deal. Critics say the agreement could harm Israel's long-term security.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the nuclear deal being developed with Saudi Arabia, without Israel's involvement, was a serious strategic mistake that could threaten Israel's security. He warned that allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own land could lead to a regional nuclear arms race and a dangerous loss of control.

Former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman said that a civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia would eventually lead to nuclear weapons and could cause an extreme arms race across the Middle East. He added that Israel, which is widely believed to have the only nuclear weapons in the region, should oppose the deal and try to persuade the U.S. Congress to stop it.

Efforts to reach a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia have been ongoing for years, including during the first administration of President Donald Trump and later under former President Joe Biden.

Until now, no agreement had been finalized. One reason was concern from nuclear nonproliferation groups, which warned that such a deal could give Saudi Arabia a way to develop nuclear weapons.

Many in Israel had also hoped that any agreement would be part of a broader deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, as proposed in a plan under President Biden. 

Former defense chief Benny Gantz said that no security official would support introducing civilian nuclear capabilities to Saudi Arabia without linking it to the creation of a moderate regional alliance, as such a step would not benefit Israel's security. It may well be this will be the case. Mr Trump's newly-added condition came 24 hours after the deal's announcement,