"Behind the scenes: The call between Trump and MBS, which was not previously made public, took place after the Gaza peace summit in Egypt last month. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the call said Trump told MBS he'd managed to end the war in Gaza, and now wanted the crown prince to move toward normalization with Israel. MBS said he was willing to work on it with the Trump administration, the U.S. official said."
"State of play: The war was one major obstacle to normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but far from the only one. However, U.S. officials contend that some of the other Saudi demands for moving toward normalization have now been met. The Saudis wanted a defense pact with Washington, and they are expected to get a security pledge from Trump during MBS' visit. While it's not a full-fledged defense treaty, it could serve as the platform for one."
"The Saudis also want an irreversible path to a Palestinian state as part of a normalization deal. The White House believes the final two clauses of Trump's Gaza peace plan put Palestinian statehood on the table. Friction point: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a fierce opponent of the two-state solution, disagrees. Netanyahu has also taken hardline positions on the implementation of Trump's peace plan that U.S. officials have found unhelpful."
Trump called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the Gaza peace summit and told him he had managed to end the Gaza war and sought Saudi movement toward normalization with Israel. Saudi Arabia indicated willingness to work with the Trump administration. U.S. officials say several Saudi conditions have been addressed, including an expected U.S. security pledge during the crown prince's visit and clauses in Trump's Gaza plan that the White House views as placing Palestinian statehood on the table. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes two-state elements and has taken hardline positions viewed as unhelpful by U.S. officials.
#trump-mbs-call #saudi-israel-normalization #gaza-peace-plan #palestinian-statehood #netanyahu-opposition
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