During a public appearance, Donald Trump made disparaging remarks in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stating that the latter had not expected to have to act submissively toward him. The comments triggered outrage particularly in Saudi Arabia among wealthy circles and political analysts, as they were perceived as offensive even without translation issues. At the same time, Trump once again urged the crown prince to join the Abraham Accords, which aim to normalize relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia has so far officially tied such a move to progress toward a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since the events of October 7, diplomatic positions between Saudi Arabia and Israel have diverged significantly, even though economic and political contacts continue behind the scenes. Within Saudi Arabia, resistance to normalization is growing, as the current situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is considered unsuitable for such steps. In addition, reports and commentary have circulated in Saudi media portraying Israel as an unstable actor and criticizing the United Arab Emirates as an extension of Israeli interests, which has caused further tensions with Israeli officials.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia is intensifying security cooperation, including with Pakistan, while discussions are underway regarding closer collaboration with Turkey. Israel is responding with its own alliance-building efforts, for example with Greece and Cyprus, and increasingly views Turkey’s growing role as a threat. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett publicly described Turkey as a new adversary and spoke of the emergence of a Sunni alliance involving Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.