Saudi Arabia is maintaining its firm stance that Palestinian statehood is an essential prerequisite for normalizing relations with Israel, creating a significant diplomatic obstacle as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite Trump's public optimism about securing a deal, the upcoming talks are expected to focus on a U.S.-Saudi defense agreement, sidelining the more contentious issue of Israeli normalization for the foreseeable future.
Saudi Arabia has communicated to Washington through diplomatic channels that its position remains unchanged: it will not normalize ties with Israel without a clear and credible roadmap for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state . This condition is rooted in the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and is considered a deeply sensitive national security issue for the Kingdom, the birthplace of Islam . A Saudi Foreign Ministry official has outlined specific prerequisites, including a timed Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the deployment of an international protection force, and the return of the Palestinian Authority to administer the territory . With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu staunchly opposed to Palestinian statehood, Saudi officials see no immediate prospect for progress, as it would require concessions that neither Washington nor Jerusalem is currently prepared to make .
President Trump has been publicly talking up the prospects of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords "very soon," expressing hope that its inclusion would lead other nations to follow . However, this optimism is at odds with the regional environment. Analysts note that the Trump administration has seemingly acknowledged that a normalization agreement is currently impossible, given the war in Gaza and Israel's refusal to negotiate a Palestinian state . The scale of Israel's military offensive in Gaza has fueled deep public mistrust across the Arab world, making it politically difficult for Saudi Arabia to pursue closer ties with Israel at this time . Experts suggest the Trump administration, frustrated with Israeli military actions, has shifted its focus and is now willing to advance key agreements with Riyadh without the previously insisted-upon condition of Saudi-Israeli normalization .
With the path to Israeli normalization blocked, the agenda for the November 18 meeting is set to concentrate on finalizing a pivotal U.S.-Saudi defense pact and other areas of cooperation . This prospective agreement is designed to expand cooperation on cutting-edge technology and defense, fast-track advanced U.S. weapons sales, and deepen ties between the two nations' defense industries . While this deal falls short of the full, Congress-ratified treaty Riyadh once desired, it is seen as a "stepping stone" that could be elevated in the future . This shift demonstrates a pragmatic decoupling of Saudi national security demands from the issue of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, allowing both nations to advance their strategic interests through bilateral agreements, independent of the political stalemate with Israel .