Saudi Arabia has established a clear guideline for US President Donald Trump and his team prior to their upcoming visit in May: discussions regarding normalization with Israel should be excluded from the agenda.
This directive was communicated by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud during his recent trip to Washington DC, where he coordinated plans for Trump’s visit, as well as in subsequent talks among senior officials, according to two Arab officials familiar with the discussions. While it is typical for diplomats to outline the topics for discussion before a state visit, the Saudi request highlights the kingdom’s concern that Trump’s spontaneous approach could lead to an uncomfortable situation for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the visit.
The crown prince has publicly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, reflecting the outrage of his citizens over the Israeli military actions in the region, which have reportedly resulted in over 52,000 deaths, predominantly among women and children, as stated by Palestinian officials.
‘Saudi Arabia is determined not to be misled into any discussions regarding Israel during the forthcoming visit. This was clearly communicated in Washington,’ remarked one Arab official. Prince Farhan also met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department on April 9. Although this meeting was public, the Saudi initiative to establish guidelines to prevent discussions on normalization prior to Trump’s visit has not been previously disclosed. The Saudi embassy in Washington did not provide a response to requests for comments.
US State Department ‘sidelined’
A second Arab official indicated that Farhan departed the meeting feeling a sense of ineffectiveness within the US State Department. He later informed officials that Rubio and his department had been entirely ‘sidelined’ from decision-making by Trump.
On Thursday, Rubio was designated as the ‘interim’ national security advisor while maintaining his position as the chief diplomat, following Trump’s dismissal of Mike Waltz. Both Rubio and Waltz have faced scrutiny from ‘America First’ supporters of Trump.
Trump has openly supported Israel’s choice to withdraw from a January ceasefire and resume hostilities in Gaza. However, prior to his visit to the Gulf, he has somewhat softened his stance. ‘We need to be considerate towards Gaza… These individuals are suffering,’ Trump stated he conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week.
On Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce remarked, ‘we want aid to resume’ when questioned about Gaza.
Abraham Accords
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Trump shared a close relationship during the US leader’s initial term, appearing to have a mutual understanding. The crown prince had a personal rapport with Trump that made career diplomats envious, often communicating with Trump’s son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner. This time, Steve Witkoff has become Trump’s primary envoy. Saudi Arabia was the first nation Trump visited as president in 2017.
According to two Arab officials, the risks for Saudi Arabia are heightened during this trip due to Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza. They indicated that Riyadh is meticulously managing the itinerary at a technical level to avoid any surprises or unexpected requests, whether in public or private.
The officials noted that Saudi Arabia is focusing on three key areas during Trump’s visit: military agreements, the Iranian nuclear program, and economic matters. In April, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering a $100 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which includes discussions about Riyadh acquiring F-35 fighter jets. Trump agreed to visit Saudi Arabia as his first international trip after the crown prince committed to investing $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.
Historically, Trump has used meetings with global leaders to create dramatic moments, such as publicly admonishing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alongside Vice President JD Vance in February. In an April meeting with Netanyahu, he announced nuclear negotiations with Iran and praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Trump has frequently speculated on the potential for expanding the Abraham Accords. Notably, in a February meeting with Netanyahu, he contradicted Saudi Arabia’s official stance by stating that Riyadh was not insisting on a Palestinian state as a condition for normalizing relations with Israel, asserting that ‘everyone is demanding one thing – peace.’ In an interview with Time Magazine on April 22, he expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords.
Trump regards the 2020 Abraham Accords, which facilitated diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, as a hallmark of his foreign policy. The previous Biden administration sought to build upon the Accords to strengthen relations with Riyadh after Biden labeled Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a ‘pariah’ due to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
This strategy of isolating the kingdom backfired on Biden when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused energy prices to surge and nuclear negotiations with Iran stalled. The US aimed to broker a deal in which Saudi Arabia would establish diplomatic relations with Israel in return for US security assurances, expedited arms sales, and support for its civilian nuclear initiatives.
Throughout 2023, numerous media reports indicated that the US and Saudi Arabia were nearing a significant agreement. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who acted as a liaison between Riyadh and the Biden administration, warned that if Saudi Arabia did not formalize relations with Israel by 2023 or early 2024, ‘the window may close’ indefinitely, without elaborating on the reasons.
Analysts and certain Arab officials suggest that one of the motivations behind the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, was to obstruct a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, thereby re-establishing the Palestinian issue on the Arab agenda. During a hearing at the International Court of Justice, Mohamed Saud Alnasser, the director of legal affairs at the Saudi foreign ministry, accused Israel of ‘appalling actions’ in Gaza and imposing a ‘cruel’ blockade on the territory.
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