Despite US President Donald Trump’s optimism about the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, Israeli expectations for a normalization agreement with Riyadh have declined amid a lack of tangible progress and Saudi Arabia’s continued insistence on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Israeli news outlet i24NEWS quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Saudi Arabia does not appear eager to move forward with normalization. The official noted that there are no signs of a fundamental breakthrough in the stalled process, apart from Trump’s optimistic statements, which he said are not supported by clear developments on the ground.
Nevertheless, the Israeli official did not rule out the possibility of future developments that could put the issue back on a path toward progress.
Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Saudi Arabia continues to insist that Israel begin negotiations with the Palestinian Authority aimed at establishing a Palestinian state and reaching a settlement based on the two-state solution. According to the report, this position is not welcomed by the current Israeli government.
The newspaper added that if Riyadh were to send a confidential message signaling its willingness to make concessions and proceed toward normalization, as Trump expects, the current or a future Israeli government might respond positively to a Saudi request for air defense protection.
On Friday evening, Trump urged Saudi Arabia to accept assistance offered by Israel to counter the Houthis, expressing his belief that Riyadh would agree to the proposal.
The US president also said the Abraham Accords were back on the negotiating table regarding Saudi Arabia, suggesting that the kingdom might be closer than ever to joining the agreements. He described the accords as one of the major achievements of his administration.
The contrasting statements from US and Israeli officials highlight differing assessments of the prospects for normalization, while the Palestinian issue and the establishment of a Palestinian state remain central to Saudi Arabia’s publicly stated position on any potential agreement with Israel.
