'It is my dream to see peace': President Herzog outlines vision for Saudi normalization

Israeli President Herzog has framed a diplomatic reconciliation with Saudi Arabia as Israel's ultimate regional aspiration. Speaking in Jerusalem during an exclusive interview with Al-Arabiya, Herzog laid out a sweeping vision for Middle Eastern integration while delivering sharp warnings about Iran and detailing Israel’s close alignment with the United States.

At the heart of President Herzog's message was an explicit, respectful overture to the Saudi leadership. "It is my dream to see peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia," Herzog stated. "I have great respect for Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The thing that we want most in Israel is to see rapprochement between the nations."

He emphasized that "the dialogue between Jerusalem and Mecca should be the real gist of it, because I believe Jew and Muslim need to dwell together in this region in peace," adding, "I guess I can't come to Riyadh just as an ordinary citizen, but I hope to be able to realize this dream and meet the Saudi Arabian leadership officially in due course."

Pointing to the success of regional integration, he noted, "We are very happy about the Abraham Accords, and we're very proud of our relations with the Kingdom of Morocco, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and with the United Arab Emirates, which is just an example of how successful it can be."

The road to this integration, however, is blocked by security challenges from Tehran. Regarding recent regional attacks, Herzog declared, "I am not surprised that this is the situation because with the Iranian pattern of behavior, which we know, it is impossible to do deals. They violate them all the time."

He welcomed international deterrence, stating, "I'm happy that the American reaction is firm so that everybody understands, especially the Iranians, that they have to go back on track if they really want to implement an exit from the war."

Despite periodic policy differences with Washington, Herzog insisted their bond remains unbreakable. "There is a close and good dialogue, especially in closed rooms. We can have our differences, it's only natural, but in the end, they're tactical," Herzog explained.

"We all understand that we are faced with an empire of evil in Tehran, with its proxies, with its belief that the United States is the big Satan and Israel is the small Satan."

Expressing strong support for the US administration, he concluded, "I respect President Trump, and I respect Vice President JD Vance, and I respect Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the entire administration," urging that "the grand picture—which the United States should push with Europe and others—is the connectivity between the East and the West."