Israeli expert believes Trump will pressure Israel to concede to Saudi conditions for peace – a Palestinian state

An Israeli expert recently stated in an interview that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is likely to pressure Israel to address various demands outlined by the Saudi Kingdom as prerequisites for any normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Shay Har-Zvi, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University in Israel said: “Trump will likely push hard to advance normalization efforts from the outset and may pressure Netanyahu to be more flexible in meeting the demands of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – particularly on ending the war in Gaza and signaling a political horizon for the Palestinians,” Har-Zvi told Israeli news site Maariv, with excerpts translated by The Jerusalem Post.

Har-Zvi added that Trump views achieving lasting peace in the region as one of his objectives, with Israel-Saudi normalization being integral to this vision.

“Failure to achieve normalization could hinder efforts to form a regional coalition against Iran and would forfeit economic opportunities for both the Middle East and the US,” he said.

The warming of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia has diminished since the war began in the Gaza Strip, with the crown prince, MBS, even accusing Israel of committing genocide.

“The kingdom renews its call for a categorical rejection of the genocide committed by Israel against the brotherly Palestinian people,” the Saudi leader said.

According to MBS, Israel’s approach to the war has undermined “efforts to obtain the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in establishing peace in the region.”

Saudi leaders have consistently maintained that normalization with Israel will only occur after an independent Palestinian state is established.

“We have no relationship with Israel,” Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said last year.

Our priority is to resolve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Our priority is the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state before normalization with Israel.”