Posted on 11/13/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
US President Donald Trump urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to move toward normalization with Israel during a phone call last month, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two senior US officials. The conversation, which had not been previously disclosed, took place following the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.
According to a US official with direct knowledge of the call, Trump told MBS he had succeeded in ending the war in Gaza and now expected Saudi Arabia to take steps toward normalization. MBS reportedly responded that he was willing to work on the matter with the Trump administration.
The Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment.
According to Axios, US officials are hoping for progress on the issue ahead of next week’s Trump-MBS meeting at the White House, though they acknowledge that significant gaps remain between the Saudi and Israeli positions.
While the Trump administration has made repeated overtures to Riyadh, hoping to convince it to join the Abraham Accords, Saudi officials have long stated that a Palestinian state would be a condition for Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel.
Saudi Arabia and Israel appeared to be on track towards normalization before Hamas’ attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. After the massacre, Saudi Arabia put the US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice.
Trump said in an interview last month that he expects an expansion of the Abraham Accords in the near future and expressed hope that Saudi Arabia will join the pact.
“I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in. I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in,” the President said.
According to Thursday’s Axios report, US officials say some of the Saudis’ demands have now been addressed. Trump is expected to offer a security pledge during MBS’ visit, which, while not a full treaty, could lay the groundwork for one.