Trump: ‘Mandatory’ for Muslim, Arab allies to normalize ties with Israel

President used conference call with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, and other countries to pressure leaders to join the Abraham Accords.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Donald Trump urged a group of Arab and Muslim leaders over the weekend to move toward normalizing ties with Israel if Washington can complete an agreement to end the war with Iran, Trump said on Monday.

The request came during a Saturday conference call with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, who were briefed on the emerging Iran deal and asked to support it.

Several leaders, including UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, voiced backing for the proposal, according to the officials. The UAE has taken a more hawkish position during the conflict with Iran.

“They all said we are with you on this deal. And if it doesn’t work we will be with you too,” one US official told Axios.

Trump confirmed Axios‘ reporting on the request, writing in a post to his Truth Social account on Monday that he informed the leaders who participated in the call that he considers it “mandatory” for their countries to join the Abraham Accords.

“During my discussions on Saturday…I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.

“Those Countries discussed are Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates (already a Member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (already a Member!). It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be.”

“If they don’t, they should not be part of this Deal in that it shows bad intention. In speaking to numerous of the Great Leaders mentioned above, they would be honored, as soon as our Document is signed, to have the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of the Abraham Accords. Wow, now that would be something special!”

A US official said Trump told the leaders he planned to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next and hoped that, at some point, the Israeli leader would join a similar call with them.

The request caught some participants off guard, particularly leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, none of which has formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

“There was silence on the line, and Trump joked and asked if they are still there,” one US official told Axios.

Trump told the leaders that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would follow up on the issue in the coming weeks.

“I would like to thank, thus far, all of the countries of the Middle East for their support and cooperation, which will be further enhanced and strengthened by their joining the Nations of the historic Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social.

Trump also raised the possibility that Iran itself could one day join the accords. Such a move would require Tehran to recognize Israel, a step Iran’s current leadership has rejected for decades while defining Israel as an enemy.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and leading congressional advocate for expanding the Abraham Accords, backed Trump’s effort despite criticizing the emerging Iran agreement.

“If in fact as a result of these negotiations to end the Iranian conflict, our Arab and Muslim allies in the region agreed to join the Abraham Accords, it would make this agreement one of the most consequential in the history of the Middle East,” Graham wrote on X.

Graham urged Saudi Arabia and other countries to accept Trump’s proposal, warning that refusal would carry consequences.

“If you refuse to go down this path as suggested by President Trump, it will have severe repercussions for our future relationships and make this peace proposal unacceptable. Further, it would be seen by history as a major miscalculation,” he wrote.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously indicated openness to normalization with Israel, but his position has cooled over the past year. During a November Oval Office meeting, Trump pressed him to join the Abraham Accords, but the crown prince resisted and the exchange became tense, according to the Axios report.

Saudi Arabia continues to demand that Israel commit to an irreversible, time-bound path toward a Palestinian state as a condition for normalization. Netanyahu’s government rejects that demand.

Abraham AccordsDonald TrumpSaudi Arabia