The sense of urgency grew last week when Trump abruptly paused US airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthis just days after a Houthi missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport.

Reports soon followed that Washington had dropped its demand for Israeli-Saudi normalization as a prerequisite for a US–Saudi nuclear pact — a strategic goal long championed by Netanyahu. Reuters later confirmed the shift.

Meanwhile, Saudi officials made clear that progress on the Palestinian issue remains a prerequisite for any nuclear deal — something seen as unlikely while the war in Gaza continues.

"After the Saudi story, where we were thrown under the bus, I said we need to stop and investigate," Haiman said.
"We shouldn’t just say it’s the president’s whims. We need to ask, ‘What depends on us? What needs to change?’ I’m not sure they’re doing that."

The sharpest potential rift remains Iran. Jerusalem views a nuclear-armed Tehran as an existential threat.
Haiman calls this "a historic window" to stop it, by force if needed.

He said: "The American interest is to finish wars, not enter them and to seal a deal better than Obama’s," warning that a diplomatic track pursued over Israel’s head could soon limit Israeli military options.