ISLAMABAD: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman firmly rejected USPresident Donald Trump’s request to advance normalization with Israelduring their recent summit in Washington, Axios reported on Tuesday. Thediscussions underscored Washington’s eagerness for Riyadh to join theexpanding Abraham Accords, but the crown prince held steadfast to thekingdom’s preconditions, emphasizing a two-state solution as non-negotiable.
The November 18 meeting at the White House, part of an official visitdirected by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, began cordially but turned tensewhen Trump raised the normalization issue. US officials noted that thepresident pressed hard for progress, hoping the end of the Gaza war wouldpave the way for a breakthrough. However, MBS pushed back, citing strongdomestic opposition and the need for Israel to commit to an independentPalestinian state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as capital.
“MBS is a strong leader,” two US officials told Axios, describing how thecrown prince dealt firmly with the request without closing the doorentirely. He reiterated that while normalization remains a possibility, itrequires an “irreversible, credible, and time-bound path” towardPalestinian statehood—a stance directly at odds with Israel’s currentgovernment’s rejection of such a process. The exchange highlighteddeepening rifts in US-Saudi alignment on Middle East peace.
Publicly, the leaders projected unity during a subsequent press conference,praising mutual economic and defense ties, including potential F-35 salesand trillion-dollar investments. Yet, behind closed doors, Trump’sdisappointment was evident, as Riyadh’s position reflects broader Arabsentiment amid lingering Gaza trauma, where over 67,000 lives were lost.Analysts view MBS’s resolve as a strategic assertion of Saudi influence inregional diplomacy.
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This development complicates Trump’s vision of expanding the AbrahamAccords, originally brokered during his first term. For Pakistan, whichshares Saudi Arabia’s advocacy for Palestinian rights, the rejectionbolsters hopes for renewed international focus on a just resolution. Asbilateral talks continue on energy and security, the normalization impassesignals persistent challenges to US-led peace initiatives in the volatileregion.Source: www.axios.com/2025/11/25/trump-mbs-tense-meeting”>https://www.axios.com/2025/11/25/trump-mbs-tense-meeting