But Trump certainly contends with some headwinds in persuading Prince Mohammed to get onboard, at least in the near term.
Headwinds for Trump in Persuading the Saudi Crown Prince to Agree to Normalize Ties With Israel
President Donald Trump has not been subtle about how badly he wants to see Saudi Arabia and Israel normalize relations. He has talked up his push to extend his first term Abraham Accords — the project that formalized commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and a trio of Arab nations — as key to his plan for bringing long-term stability to the Middle East as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to hold.
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Trump showing openness and even support for a Palestinian state could go a long way in his hopes of inching MBS toward normalization,” said John Hannah, who served as national security adviser for Vice President Dick Cheney.
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The officials said the administration remains wary about upsetting Israel’s “qualitative military advantage” over its neighbors, especially at a time when Trump is depending on Israeli support for the success of his Gaza peace plan.
Another long-standing concern, which also derailed a potential similar sale to the United Arab Emirates, is that the F-35 technology could be stolen by or somehow transferred to China, which has close ties to both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The crown prince’s price for normalization has only risen in the aftermath of Gaza, said Hannah, the former Cheney aide, who is now a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. But Hannah said it would be unwise for Trump to give up his leverage.
“I think it would be folly not to insist that the ultimate integration of these planes into the Saudi order of battle be tied to normalization and a more fundamental and permanent transformation in Saudi-Israel relations and the regional security landscape,” Hannah said.
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Read the full article in the Washington Post.