It took almost a week for Israel to respond — and when it did, it struck an air defense system near Isfahan, which is home to some critical nuclear facilities. This was a “signaling strike,” meant to send two messages: We can hit you whenever and wherever we want, but we don’t want a larger war.

All of this has left Washington deeply anxious, and more determined than ever to find an end to the escalatory pressures in the region. In recent months, the Biden team has redoubled its efforts to secure a diplomatic breakthrough with Saudi Arabia which, before Oct. 7, had indicated it was open to normalizing relations with Israel for the right price.

And that price is high — but Washington appears prepared to pay its share. The Biden administration has apparently agreed to provide Saudi Arabia legally binding security guarantees, akin to those it has with Japan and other Asian allies. And most strikingly, it seems prepared to assist Saudi Arabia in acquiring a civilian nuclear program, including uranium enrichment facilities that would be owned and operated by the U.S. but located on Saudi soil.

The key to a final deal doesn’t lie with Washington or Riyadh, however — it lies with Israel. Or, more precisely, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Cabinet.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are demanding Israel agree to a clear, measurable “pathway” toward a Palestinian state. They also want conditions in Gaza to markedly improve, so that an international force can be deployed to begin the long and difficult process of rebuilding.

But Netanyahu has been clear. He doesn’t want any sort of pathway, let alone a Palestinian state. He wants Israel to control Gaza and the West Bank — though evidently without taking responsibility for the welfare of its people.

However, Washington and Riyadh are offering Israel a better choice. Saudi-Israel normalization would create a strong basis to counter Iran and its axis of resistance. It would also bring the U.S., Israel and the Gulf Arabs into a binding coalition opposing Iran’s regional designs and destabilization.

The alternative is simply more chaos, more war and more escalation. The choice is Israel’s to make.