A narrative has taken hold in parts of the U.S. media in recent weeks suggesting that Saudi Arabia is becoming a less worthwhile American ally. From these premises, critics draw a sweeping but deeply flawed conclusion: that Saudi Arabia is drifting away from the United States and even reverting to old habits of exporting radical Islam or aligning with “Islamists” as a regional strategy. Saudi Arabia is not opposing normalization with Israel in principle. Saudi Arabia understands this. The claim that Saudi Arabia is exporting radical Islam again or aligning with Islamist movements as a strategy is particularly absurd.