Despite the smiles in front of the cameras, senior American officials say that behind closed doors, the conversation between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was tense and difficult — focused on the question of Saudi normalization with Israel.
Barak Ravid reports in Axios: According to the officials, the crown prince told Trump that Saudi public opinion is strongly anti-Israel, and that under current conditions he cannot join the Abraham Accords. Trump was described as disappointed and angry.
“The president tried to persuade him, but bin Salman did not budge,” one senior US official said.
The discussion over Saudi Arabia’s willingness to normalize relations with Israel was described by two senior American officials — and an additional source familiar with the details — as a “hard conversation.”
