Saudi Arabia-Israel Normalization Likely This Year: Trump

Darwin, 24 October-

U.S. President Donald Trump has predicted that Saudi Arabia and Israel will establish normal diplomatic relations by the end of this year.

During an interview with Time Magazine on October 15—published Thursday by the Times of Israel—Trump said, “I think we’re very close. I believe Saudi Arabia will lead the way.”

When asked about normalization between the two countries, Trump explained, “They used to have the Gaza problem and the Iran problem. Now both of those issues have been resolved.”

Responding to a question about whether Saudi Arabia might join the Abraham Accords this year, Trump replied without hesitation, “Yes, I think that will happen.”

Trump also revealed that he hopes to visit the Gaza Strip in the future, though he did not provide details about the timing or purpose of the visit.

Regarding Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Trump remarked that the Palestinians “have no visible leader at the moment.”

“They don’t have a leader now—at least not visibly,” he said. “And maybe they don’t even want one, because almost everyone who became a leader was shot and killed. It’s not a ‘hot job.’”

Trump added, “I’ve always thought of Abbas as a reasonable man, but perhaps he’s not.” He did not commit to supporting Abbas as a potential leader of a future Gaza administration.

The U.S. President also mentioned that discussions are ongoing about the imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, saying he would soon give his opinion on whether Israel should release him.

The Trump-backed Abraham Accords, launched in 2019, have already normalized Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. However, Saudi Arabia has so far refrained from joining.

Analysts say Trump’s latest remarks indicate a major diplomatic shift in the Middle East.
If Saudi Arabia indeed establishes diplomatic ties with Israel by the end of this year, it would mark a historic turning point in the Arab world’s relations with the Jewish state.