Washington(The COW News Digital) Former US President Donald Trump has claimed that Saudi Arabia is moving rapidly toward improved relations with Israel and could soon join the Abraham Accords, signaling a potential shift in Middle East diplomacy.
Speaking during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on December 30, 2025, Trump said that ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv have already strengthened behind the scenes. According to him, the normalization of relations is no longer a distant possibility but a matter of time.
Trump stated that the Abraham Accords, which were brokered during his presidency, are likely to expand further and at a faster pace. He expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia would eventually become part of the framework, describing the kingdom’s engagement with Israel as constructive and positive.
“As far as I am concerned, Saudi Arabia has done everything that could reasonably be expected,” Trump said. “They are managing matters with Israel very well.”
Despite Trump’s assertions, Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained a cautious and publicly firm stance against formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Riyadh has repeatedly stated that normalization is conditional upon the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
This position was reiterated recently by former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki Al Faisal, who told Israeli media that relations cannot be normalized unless Israel behaves like a “normal state” and formally recognizes Palestinian statehood. His remarks reflected long-standing Saudi policy rooted in the Arab Peace Initiative.
Saudi officials have avoided confirming any imminent agreement with Israel, emphasizing that their foreign policy priorities remain unchanged. However, analysts note that the regional landscape has evolved significantly in recent years, driven by shared security concerns and shifting alliances.
According to regional experts, Saudi Arabia and Israel already engage in undeclared cooperation, particularly in intelligence sharing and security coordination. This quiet collaboration is widely seen as being influenced by mutual concerns over Iran’s regional influence and missile capabilities.
The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. While Saudi Arabia did not formally join, it supported certain confidence-building measures, such as allowing Israeli-linked flights to use its airspace.
Trump’s comments are likely to spark renewed debate over the future of Saudi-Israeli relations and the broader implications for the Palestinian issue. Whether Riyadh will move from discreet cooperation to open diplomatic ties remains uncertain, but the discussion itself underscores the changing dynamics of Middle Eastern politics.
