Normalization with Israel: Saudi Arabia says no to Trump

Saudi Arabia has rejected any normalization with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state. Riyadh demands a clear and irreversible path towards a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, recalling that the Palestinian question remains central despite American pressure.

Donald Trump wanted to present an expansion of the Abraham Accords as a historic victory and a pillar of his peace project with Iran. But his plan comes up against a brutal political reality: no major Muslim country wants to appear as an ally of Israel while Gaza is ravaged by war. Pakistan publicly rejected the American proposal, denouncing a project contrary to its principles. Other invited states prefer to remain silent, proof of the unease caused by this initiative in the Muslim world. Even discussions with Iran remain fragile. Despite Trump’s optimistic statements, regional tensions continue to rise and Israel continues its military operations, making any prospect of a lasting agreement even more unlikely.

For many analysts, it is a total fiasco for Donald Trump. He hoped to impose a major diplomatic victory in the Middle East, but found himself facing humiliating rejection from his main Arab partners. His project appears improvised, unrealistic and totally disconnected from the anger caused by the genocide in Gaza.

Israel also finds itself totally isolated on the regional scene. The Saudi refusal shows that normalization cannot advance as long as the Israeli government rejects any solution for the Palestinians. Instead of the “new Middle East” promised by Trump and Israel, the region today appears more fractured, more violent and more unstable than ever. The genocide in Gaza and the refusal to grant rights to the Palestinians have greatly damaged Israel’s image in the Arab and Muslim world, pushing several countries to distance themselves from a policy deemed aggressive and without political outcome.