Trump’s price for Saudi Arabia: recognize Israel
Description
President Trump has named his price for Saudi Arabia: recognize Israel. In July, he wrote that a Saudi nuclear deal was “totally subject to” Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords.
In May, he tied the Abraham Accords to his proposed agreement to end the war with Iran. He wrote that he was “mandatorily requesting” that all countries sign immediately, starting with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and that those that don’t “should not be part of this Deal.” Two days later, he said, “I think they owe that to us, to be honest.”
In July, Trump announced a fee on the Gulf states for protecting the Strait of Hormuz. “I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” he said. The next day, on Truth Social, he dropped it. He wrote that he had decided “to replace the 20 percent United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals” that the Gulf states would make into the United States. He called those investments “MASSIVE” but gave no amount.
In September, the crown prince called Trump twice asking for US strikes on the Houthis, Iran-aligned rebels at war with Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. Trump declined but offered intelligence, Axios reported. On October 10, a Houthi missile attack killed at least 12 people at Saudi Arabia’s main airport.
Six days later, Trump said the Saudis should accept Israel’s help. Asked if Saudi Arabia could still join the Abraham Accords, he said, “Yeah, I think so, maybe more than ever.”
In public, Saudi Arabia is loud. On October 23, its foreign minister joined a statement calling the Israeli occupation “the main source of instability in the Middle East and beyond.” Saudi Arabia says it will recognize Israel only with a clear path to a Palestinian state.
In private, Saudi Arabia is quieter. An Israeli newspaper reported, citing unnamed officials, that Saudi Arabia asked Israel for intelligence on the Houthis. Neither government has confirmed the request.
And the ties run through Trump’s family. In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund, whose board the crown prince leads, put $2 billion into a firm run by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, The New York Times reported. Today Kushner sits on the executive board of Trump’s Board of Peace, and Trump has called him an “envoy of peace.”
Trump’s price hasn’t changed: recognize Israel. In public, Saudi Arabia still says not without a Palestinian state. In private, it has reportedly asked Israel for intelligence.
Transcript
In October, a missile attack killed at least 12 people at Saudi Arabia’s main airport. President Trump said the Saudis should accept Israel’s help. Asked if Saudi Arabia could still join the Abraham Accords, the deals to recognize Israel, he said, “Yeah, I think so, maybe more than ever.”
Trump has pressed Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords all year. In May, he wrote that he was “mandatorily requesting” that countries sign the Abraham Accords, starting with Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Two days later, he said, “I think they owe that to us, to be honest.” In July, he said of the Gulf states, “I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world.” The next day, he swapped a proposed fee for “Trade and Investment Deals.” And a day after officials announced a Saudi nuclear deal, Trump wrote it was “totally subject to” Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords.
The missiles came from the Houthis, Iran-aligned rebels at war with Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. In September, the Saudi crown prince called Trump twice and asked for US strikes on them. Trump declined but offered intelligence, Axios reported.
Saudi Arabia has not publicly recognized Israel. In public, Saudi Arabia is loud. On Oct. 23, the Saudi foreign minister joined a statement calling the Israeli occupation “the main source of instability in the Middle East and beyond.” Saudi Arabia says it will recognize Israel only with a clear path to a Palestinian state. In private, Saudi Arabia is quieter. An Israeli newspaper reported, citing unnamed officials, that Saudi Arabia asked Israel for intelligence on the Houthis. Neither government has confirmed the request. In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund, whose board the crown prince leads, put $2 billion into a firm run by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, The New York Times reported.
Trump wants cash for protection, and he wants Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel. Publicly, he hasn’t gotten either one.
Sources and credits
- The Times of Israel, Trump says Israel has been “very helpful” to Saudi Arabia amid the fight against the Houthis, Oct. 16, 2026. timesofisrael.com
- The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara, President Trump’s Truth Social posts of May 25, 2026. presidency.ucsb.edu
- Jewish Insider, Trump presses Gulf countries on the Abraham Accords, May 27, 2026. jewishinsider.com
- The White House, President Trump’s Cabinet meeting, video, May 27, 2026. Wikimedia Commons
- NPR, a look at Trump’s plan to build on the Abraham Accords, May 28, 2026. npr.org
- Washington Examiner, Trump wants to be reimbursed for protecting the region, July 13, 2026. washingtonexaminer.com
- The White House, President Trump signs an executive order, video, July 13, 2026. whitehouse.gov
- Voz, Trump says several Gulf countries will have to pay the US to protect the Strait of Hormuz, July 14, 2026. voz.us
- The Maritime Executive, Trump drops the Hormuz protection fee, saying Gulf states will invest in the US, July 2026. maritime-executive.com
- NPR, Trump says Saudi Arabia’s nuclear deal hinges on normalizing ties with Israel, July 23, 2026. npr.org
- The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara, President Trump’s Truth Social posts of July 23, 2026. presidency.ucsb.edu
- Reuters via WHBL, citing Axios, Trump declines the Saudi crown prince’s call for US strikes on the Houthis, Sept. 10, 2026. whbl.com
- Israel Hayom, Saudi Arabia and Israel in talks through CENTCOM over the Houthi threat, Sept. 15, 2026. israelhayom.com
- The Associated Press via KY3, “American among 12 killed and more than 300 hurt in latest attack on Riyadh airport, authorities say,” Oct. 10, 2026. ky3.com
- Al Jazeera, “Saudi Arabia says 12 killed, 300 wounded in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport,” Oct. 10, 2026. aljazeera.com
- Gulf News, “12 killed, 309 injured in attack on Riyadh airport,” Oct. 11, 2026. gulfnews.com
- Roll Call Factba.se, “Remarks: Donald Trump Holds a Cabinet Meeting at the White House – May 27, 2026,” May 27, 2026. rollcall.com
- Arab News, “Israeli occupation is main source of regional instability, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt and Pakistan warn,” Oct. 23, 2026. arabnews.pk
- Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Joint Statement on the R4 Ministerial Meeting, İstanbul, 23 October 2026,” Oct. 23, 2026. mfa.gov.tr
- Roll Call Factba.se, “Remarks: Donald Trump Holds a Bilat with Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia – November 18, 2025,” Nov. 18, 2025. rollcall.com
- The New York Times, “Before Giving Billions to Jared Kushner, Saudi Investment Fund Had Big Doubts,” April 10, 2022. nytimes.com
- Saudi Press Agency via Arab News, “PIF board approves 2026–2030 strategy chaired by crown prince,” April 15, 2026. arabnews.pk
- Axios, “Scoop: MBS urged Trump to strike Houthis amid Red Sea threat,” Sept. 11, 2026. axios.com
- Anadolu Agency, “US rejects Saudi call for strikes against Houthis, offers intelligence support: Axios,” Sept. 11, 2026. aa.com.tr
Picture credits
- King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh: satellite image from the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command, 2006 (public domain). Wikimedia Commons
- President Trump at the White House, Oct. 16, 2026; at a Cabinet meeting, May 27, 2026; and in the Oval Office, July 13, 2026: frames from White House videos (public domain).
- President Trump’s May 25 and July 23, 2026 posts: The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara.
- Map: NASA Blue Marble: Next Generation, via NASA GIBS (public domain).
- President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Oval Office, Nov. 18, 2025: Official White House photo by Daniel Torok (public domain).
- President Trump with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, Riyadh, May 14, 2025: Official White House photo by Daniel Torok (public domain).
The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.