The deal is expected to include a sale of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia and a potential path to Palestinian statehood
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman have “reached an agreement” for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, bringing the region’s central power broker closer to normalizing relations with Israel.
Tuesday marked the first time both leaders confirmed that Saudi Arabia seeks to join the Abraham Accords, which initially included Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. Kazakhstan became the latest Muslim-majority country to join the pact earlier this month.
“We want to be part of the Abraham Accords,” bin Salman said during a joint press conference with Trump at the White House. “But we want to be sure we secure a clear path towards a two-state solution. We had a good discussion about moving forward.”
“We want peace for Israelis,” he added. “We want peace for Palestinians. We want peace for the region.”
The Saudi crown prince’s statement came on the heels of his country’s decision to support the U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing Trump’s plan for post-war Gaza. It also follows Trump’s announcement that he plans to sell Saudi Arabia F-35 fighter jets, advanced planes the United States has only sold to Israel.
While the Israel Defense Forces opposed the Saudi F-35 deal, arguing it has the potential to erode the Jewish state’s air superiority in the region, Trump hinted that Israel will be happy with the eventual terms of the deal.
“Israel’s aware, and they’re going to be very happy,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump did not elaborate on the terms of the tentative deal, but it is expected to couple the F-35 sale with Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, and may also involve a path toward a Palestinian state.
Trump described the talks as “very good” and said he and bin Salman discussed the possibility of “one state” or “two states.” Israeli leaders largely oppose a one-state solution, which would mean erasing the country’s Jewish majority, and the U.S.-drafted post-war Gaza plan includes a potential path to Palestinian statehood contingent on the successful reconstruction of Gaza.
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