--- title: A U.S.-Saudi Defense Pact Is a Terrible Idea description: The Biden Administration wants a Saudi-Israel normalization deal but would pay a steep price for it. canonical: https://time.com/6316003/us-saudi-defense-pact-mistake/ author: Daniel DePetris article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-09-20T18:39:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:34.251Z article:section: Ideas og:title: A U.S.-Saudi Defense Pact Is a Terrible Idea og:description: The Biden Administration wants a Saudi-Israel normalization deal but would pay a steep price for it. og:url: https://time.com/6316003/us-saudi-defense-pact-mistake/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta055556e4eff3074/698a409c47ca3813e03bb26b/GettyImages-1241919806.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: US President Joe Biden in Saudi Arabia og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A U.S.-Saudi Defense Pact Is a Terrible Idea twitter:description: The Biden Administration wants a Saudi-Israel normalization deal but would pay a steep price for it. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta055556e4eff3074/698a409c47ca3813e03bb26b/GettyImages-1241919806.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A U.S.-Saudi Defense Pact Is a Terrible Idea > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=dcff761d-1370-48fe-b51d-25f100cccc36&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: A Breakdown of the Stunning PGA Tour-LIV Golf Merger [Watch (HLS stream): A Breakdown of the Stunning PGA Tour-LIV Golf Merger](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/R7wor19Y.m3u8) (6:46)  _Published 2023-06-09. The PGA Tour announced a stunning merger with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on June 6 that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top professional golf players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth. Sean Gregory breaks down the international controversy from LIV Golf’s origins to where it stands today._ by [Daniel DePetris](https://time.com/author/daniel-depetris/) ## Daniel DePetris Contributor DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a syndicated foreign affairs columnist at The Chicago Tribune. Sep 20, 2023 6:39 PM UTC  U.S. President Joe Biden meets Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Alsalam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden meets Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Alsalam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15, 2022. Royal Court of Saudi Arabia—Anadolu Agency via Getty Images by [Daniel DePetris](https://time.com/author/daniel-depetris/) ## Daniel DePetris Contributor DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a syndicated foreign affairs columnist at The Chicago Tribune. Sep 20, 2023 6:39 PM UTC Whether it's managing an increasingly tense relationship with China or trying to sustain Western military support for Ukraine, the U.S. has its hands full. The Biden Administration, however, has nonetheless chosen to devote a significant amount of[ diplomatic capital](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/politics/biden-saudi-defense-treaty.html) trying to advance a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, two of its longstanding partners in the Middle East. There’s no question the Biden Administration views such a deal as a seismic win in a part of the world often associated with conflict and diplomatic logjams. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the prospects of such an accord “[a transformative event](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-15/saudi-israel-normalization-remains-difficult-blinken-says?embedded-checkout=true).” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan[ commented this month](https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-biden-aide-theres-still-work-to-do-on-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-deal/) that while the negotiations weren’t close to being finalized, the sides have settled on a “broad understanding of many of the key elements.” President Biden will no doubt speak about the diplomacy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The question, however, isn’t whether an Israel-Saudi normalization agreement would be a good thing for the U.S.—it’s how high a price Washington is willing to pay to get the deal across the finish line. It’s imperative for the White House to ensure that its desire for a major diplomatic accomplishment doesn’t blind itself to the risks of giving away too much. **Read More:** [_The Limits of the U.S.-Saudi Relationship_](https://time.com/6300927/limits-u-s-saudi-relationship/) ### More From TIME Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) recognizes that normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is a key U.S. foreign policy priority in the Middle East. Even so, it’s [deeply unpopular](https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/third-saudis-want-business-israel-now-even-without-formal-ties-muslim-rights-top) in Saudi Arabia and the broader Arab world absent concessions from Israel such as reaffirming Muslim rights at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute or, at the very least, greater Palestinian Authority control in the occupied West Bank. MBS has no intention of signing onto the dotted line for free given the likely blowback and the fact that his father, King Salman, is[ very much invested](https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-royal-family-split-relations-israel-uae-bahrain-mbs-prince-king-11600446560) in supporting the Palestinians’ cause for an independent state. For these reasons, MBS is using the prospect of a normalization accord in order [to extract a series of U.S. concessions for Riyadh](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/opinion/israel-saudi-arabia-biden.html). At the top of the list is a U.S. security guarantee for the kingdom, which would reportedly compel the U.S. to come to Saudi Arabia’s defense in the event of an external attack like the one that occurred in September 2019, when a volley of cruise missiles hit two major Saudi oil facilities. (Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. However, U.S. and Saudi officials have pointed the finger at Iran, with[ Reuters reporting](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-attacks-iran-special-rep/special-reporttime-to-take-out-our-swords-inside-irans-plot-to-attack-saudi-arabia-idUSKBN1XZ16H) in November of that year that Iran's leadership approved the operation, according to several Iranian officials the outlet spoke to. Tehran has strongly denied any involvement.) If this is indeed on offer, the U.S. should have the common sense to walk out of the room right now before it’s too late. A U.S. security guarantee to Saudi Arabia should be avoided at all costs because the downsides are so numerous. First, there would be nothing mutual about a so-called mutual defense clause with the Saudis. The kingdom has not shown itself to be a strong partner during past U.S. requests for assistance. When the Islamic State was at its peak in 2014 and 2015, controlling vast stretches of territory in Syria and Iraq, the Saudis were relative bystanders in the counter-IS coalition. Whereas the [United Arab Emirates](https://www.cnn.com/2014/09/25/world/meast/uae-female-fighter-pilot/index.html) and [Jordan](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/09/jordan-says-it-has-carried-out-56-air-strikes-against-isis) contributed combat aircraft to the mission and conducted airstrikes against the group, the Saudi contribution largely centered on allowing the U.S. [to use its territory](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/09/26/u-s-general-on-training-syrian-rebels-we-have-to-do-it-right-not-fast/) to train anti-IS fighters. Second, granting the kingdom a security guarantee would in effect turn U.S. soldiers, sailors, fighter pilots, and marines into security guards for the Saudi royal family running the kingdom. While this would no doubt serve the interests of the Saudis, who have proven to be incompetent warfighters in Yemen [despite tens of billions of dollars](https://sgp.fas.org/crs/mideast/RL33533.pdf) in U.S. defense sales, it wouldn’t be in the best interest of the U.S., which should be downsizing its presence in the region in order to better resource its shift toward Asia. It should be noted that, [ceasefire talks](https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-yemen-war-peace-talks-d2a9ad9efe1ab0b4f5d51597098f46a2) with the Houthis notwithstanding, the Saudi military is still very much engaged in an eight-year war in Yemen. Would a resumption of Houthi missile attacks into the kingdom compel U.S. forces to get involved in Yemen militarily? Right now, this is a hypothetical question. But it becomes a matter of urgency for U.S. policymakers if Washington and Riyadh have an active defense agreement or, more significantly, a defense alliance. Lastly, MBS has made major missteps in recent years, exposing him as an unreliable partner with poor judgment. By the U.S. intelligence community’s [own assessment](https://time.com/6196794/biden-saudi-arabia-trip-russia/), he approved the killing of former _Washington Post_ columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which hurt the kingdom’s reputation in the West and for a time [degraded its image on Capitol Hill](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/04/graham-senate-rebuke-saudi-arabia-1041379). His government also allegedly [kidnapped former Lebanese Prime Minister](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/24/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-saad-hariri-mohammed-bin-salman-lebanon.html) Saad Hariri and forced him [to resign](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/surprise-resignation-of-lebanon-prime-minister-saad-hariri-saudi-arabia-tv-interview) on television because he was insufficiently hawkish on Hezbollah (although Hariri later [withdrew his resignation](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42239355) after he returned to Lebanon). And, in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, MBS helped orchestrate [a land and sea blockade against Qatar](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/05/saudi-arabia-and-bahrain-break-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-over-terrorism) in an attempt to coerce Doha into altering its foreign policy to Riyadh’s liking. That policy failed to elicit the policy reforms the Saudis demanded, even as it divided the Gulf Cooperation Council and pushed Qatar closer to Iran. MBS has been a more pliable figure lately stressing conciliation rather than confrontation. The Saudis have [since mended ties](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/8/saudis-mbs-on-first-visit-to-qatar-since-blockade-lifting) with Qatar and have normalized relations with Iran, not to mention its ongoing ceasefire talks with the Houthis. But nobody can say with confidence that this transformation is permanent, and there is a risk that a U.S. security guarantee could push MBS to revert to his previous ways. The bottom line is that the Biden Administration needs to be extremely cautious as it tries to play peacemaker between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Otherwise it could find itself fleeced in the process. ## Transcript So live golf is part of Saudi Arabia's large scale investment into sports. It is backed by the kingdom's public investment fund, which seems to have an endless flow of resources. The state of Saudi Arabia has been investing into sports to try to modernize its economy. Critics say it's a way in which the kingdom can whitewash its human rights record. That strategy is known as sports washing. Saudi Arabia, according to U.S. intelligence, was behind the murder of a US resident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. There have been other human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, treatment of women, treatment of the LGBTQ community, all kinds of things. And going back to 911, the 911, nine, 11 victims groups hold Saudi Arabia still responsible for the attacks. When you partner with a country that stands in stark opposition to American ideals and often ranks amongst amongst one of the worst human rights abusers in the world, you aren't just playing golf. You're taking a political stance. Live golf started about a year ago, was the first event it was announced in March of 2022. Greg Norman, the Golf Hall of Famer, was the CEO. It kicked off last year to much fanfare and criticism because live golf used Saudi Arabia's seemingly endless resources to sign several big time golf stars from the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and others. Dustin Johnson. Bryson DeChambeau. So big names on the PGA Tour fled to live golf. The PGA Tour would say they were traitors in a way, took the money, and the PGA Tour was very critical of the source of the live money, which was the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And in a way, they were framing live golf's resources as a sort of blood money, which makes the fact that the PGA Tour is now partnering with live golf that much more shocking. Live golf, it seemed, offered millions and millions of dollars. So, for example, reportedly, Rory McIlroy might have turned down something like $500 million to join live golf. Tiger Woods was reportedly offered, I believe, in the $700 million range. This is all kind of second hand reporting speculation. But the bottom line is there's no doubt that live golf offered eye popping sums of money. You know, the PGA's reaction was aggression. When live golf started, they saw saw live golf as the enemy. Lawsuits were filed against live golf almost a year to the day that this merger was announced. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan did an interview on CBS Sports with Jim Nantz, basically calling out the source of live golf funds, the Saudi Arabian state. And I would. Ask, you know, any player that has left or any player that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour? Almost a year later, he has changed his tune when again, he is now welcoming Saudi money into the PGA Tour fold. This ultimately is a decision that I think is in the best interests of all of the members of the PGA Tour. The player reaction was complete surprise and shock, and they were stunned that the PGA Tour, which is supposed to represent professional players, did not clue any professional players into what was going on. The people that left the PGA Tour are rapidly harmed. This tour started litigation against it, like we can't just welcome them back in. Like, that's not going to happen. I still hit live like I hit it like I hope it goes away. The incentives for both organization for for this partnership for let's start with the PGA Tour. It's money. It's a huge revenue source. You know, if live golf is offering Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and all these players hundreds of millions of dollars to join their tour, that money can now flow into the overall PGA umbrella and make the game, in theory, more attractive to players, maybe do some different experimentations with tournament. Another incentive is the PGA Tour seemingly will get its players back. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, you know, they will be back in the fold. Oh, they're going to. Help you, Phil. PGA Tour gets a lot of money and gets its players back so you can understand why they would do this. The PGA Tour sort of eliminates the competition here live golf and the Saudi investment fund gets to keep its power in the game. The release makes clear that the Saudi decision makers have first dibs on capital investments. The whole point of this was Saudi Arabia using its resources to diversify its economy, get return on its sports investments, and be a global player in sports. Saudi Arabian cash is in golf to stay and is in global sports to stay. Taking all the ethical things aside, if you're a pure golf fan and all you care about is seeing entertaining golf week to week. It stands to reason that this can be a good thing, that more money coming into the game, perhaps more innovation players back in playing and at each other. So from a purely golf point of view, it does no doubt have some upside. You can see why the stakeholders made this decision. The question is now, after a year of criticizing live golf, criticizing the state of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for past sins, you're in a marriage with Saudi Arabia, and how do you handle that ethically and morally? The bottom line is memories tend to be short and people like their sports and sports washing is a thing. But who's going to not watch golf because of it? When live golf merges with the PGA Tour, it's the sovereign wealth fund of a foreign entity with a questionable human rights record. That's never happened before. American sports has never had to really grapple with that. And it'll be really interesting to see how American sports grapples with this very convoluted, complicated, geopolitically tense issue. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6316003/us-saudi-defense-pact-mistake/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6316003/us-saudi-defense-pact-mistake/"},"headline":"A U.S.-Saudi Defense Pact Is a Terrible Idea","datePublished":"2023-09-20T18:39:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:03:34.251Z","description":"The Biden Administration wants a Saudi-Israel normalization deal but would pay a steep price for it.","url":"https://time.com/6316003/us-saudi-defense-pact-mistake/","keywords":["world affairs"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta055556e4eff3074/698a409c47ca3813e03bb26b/GettyImages-1241919806.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel DePetris","jobTitle":"Contributor","url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-depetris/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta055556e4eff3074/698a409c47ca3813e03bb26b/GettyImages-1241919806.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US President Joe Biden in Saudi Arabia","caption":"US President Joe Biden in Saudi Arabia","creditText":"Royal Court of Saudi Arabia—Anadolu Agency via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/world-affairs/","name":"world affairs"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6316003/us-saudi-defense-pact-mistake/","name":"A U.S.-Saudi Defense Pact Is a Terrible Idea"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Breakdown of the Stunning PGA Tour-LIV Golf Merger","description":"The PGA Tour announced a stunning merger with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on June 6 that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top professional golf players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth. 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