Saudi criticism and normalization context

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Magid joins us from the Doha Forum, an annual gathering bringing together government officials, policymakers, civil society representatives and business leaders from around the world to discuss major global challenges.

Qatar’s Prime Minister said yesterday that Doha does not consider the current situation in Gaza to be a ceasefire, arguing that this would require an Israeli withdrawal from the entirety of the enclave. At the same time, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for deploying the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza “as soon as possible,” claiming that Israel is using the absence of international monitors on the ground in Gaza to violate the ceasefire on a daily basis. We hear additional statements critical of Israel and discuss their significance, even as the Trump administration appears to announce that Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire will commence in the coming weeks.

Also yesterday at the Doha Forum, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of “exporting crises” to other countries around the region to distract from its “horrifying massacres” in Gaza. We learn how those at the forum consider that the Syrian president, once denounced as a terrorist, is a legitimate actor in the region, whereas Israel is not.

Piling on to the criticism against Israel at the forum, also yesterday, a senior Saudi diplomat said that while there is much focus in the international community on the need for the Palestinian Authority to engage in a comprehensive reform process, a reform of the Israeli government is what is most needed for peace in the region.

Magid puts this new Saudi statement in the context of what we also learned yesterday: that the US and Saudi Arabia had reached understandings on the eve of Hamas’s October 7 attack regarding the concessions Israel would have to make vis-à-vis the Palestinians for Riyadh to normalize relations with Jerusalem. Magid previews what he has uncovered, which will be discussed more in depth in Friday's Lazar Focus podcast.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Qatari PM: Gaza truce can’t be considered ceasefire until Israel leaves the Strip

Trump says next phase of his Gaza plan will soon commence amid concern it’s stalling

Syria’s Sharaa slams Israel for ‘exporting’ conflict to region to hide Gaza ‘massacres’

Senior Saudi diplomat: It’s Israel, not PA , that most needs reform to secure peace

ToI reveals: US and Saudis reached understandings on Palestinian component of normalization before Oct. 7

The day after that never came: How time ran out on Blinken’s plan for postwar Gaza

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IMAGE: (From L) CEO and President of the International Crisis Group Comfort Ero, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Saudi Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs's minister plenipotentiary Manal Radwan attend the opening day of the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference, in Doha on December 6, 2025. (Mahmud HAMS / AFP)

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