Trump, MBS privately clashed over Israel normalization push

The president grew “irritated” when Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman refused to commit to normalizing ties with Israel, a source said.

By World Israel News Staff

A friendly meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman turned tense when the American leader pressed the Gulf Kingdom to formally recognize the State of Israel.

Although Jerusalem and Riyadh maintain extensive covert ties, an official acknowledgment of normalization would mark a historic breakthrough in regional diplomacy — an accomplishment Trump has publicly signaled he is eager to secure.

While the two leaders projected unity in public, they clashed behind closed doors over Trump’s pressure for a public announcement regarding the prospect of normalization with Israel.

Trump was “disappointed” and “irritated” by bin Salman’s refusal to commit to recognizing Israel, a source with firsthand knowledge of the conversation told Axios.

“The president really wants them to join the Abraham Accords. He tried very hard to talk him. It was an honest discussion. But MBS is a strong man. He stood his ground,” the source said.

The Saudi prince reportedly told Trump that while he was privately in favor of formal normalization with Israel, now is not the right time because of strong anti-Israel sentiment among Saudi citizens in the aftermath of the Gaza war.

However, an American official told Axios that bin Salman had not flatly rejected the possibility of recognition.

Bin Salman “never said no to normalization. The door is open for doing it later. But the two-state solution is an issue,” the official said.

Trump remains focused on expanding the Abraham Accords to include additional countries, a White House official told Axios.

“Now that Iran’s nuclear program has been totally obliterated and the war in Gaza has ended, it is very important to President Trump that all Middle Eastern countries join the Abraham Accords, which will advance peace in the region,” the official said.