Would Israeli-Saudi Normalization Bring the Regional Order the U.S. Wants?

The United States seems to be going the extra mile for Saudi-Israeli normalization, despite the fact that both Israel and Saudi Arabia are becoming increasingly nationalistic -- and increasingly disinterested in fully aligning themselves with the United States in its rivalries with Russia and China. In Washington, Saudi-Israeli normalization may look like a step toward what many analysts and journalists have dubbed a ''Middle Eastern NATO,'' a network of friends and allies the United States can rely on to police the region -- thus enabling it to draw down its own military presence there -- while also keeping rival influence from Moscow and Beijing at bay. But in practice, Saudi Arabia and Israel's rising tide of nationalism seems unlikely to cooperate with such aspirations....