While the immediate focus of President Donald Trump’s Mideast trip is a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza, the administration’s long-term sights are set on a much larger geopolitical prize: normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This ambitious goal aims to build upon the success of the first-term Abraham Accords and fundamentally alter the region’s strategic map.
The current ceasefire and hostage deal is viewed by the White House as a crucial first step. A senior administration official indicated that a permanent end to the Gaza conflict is the necessary catalyst to begin serious negotiations with Saudi Arabia, the most influential Arab state, and Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, about establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.
Trump’s visit to Israel and a subsequent 20-nation summit in Egypt are designed to build this momentum. By bringing regional leaders together, the administration hopes to foster a renewed consensus on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has long been a barrier to broader Arab-Israeli peace. Trump himself has spoken optimistically about rebuilding Gaza with the financial backing of “very wealthy countries” in the region.
However, brokering a Saudi-Israel agreement remains a monumental challenge. The kingdom has consistently stated that it will not recognize Israel until a viable path to Palestinian statehood is established. This position is at odds with the current Israeli government’s policies, including rapid settlement expansion in the West Bank, which makes a two-state solution appear more remote than ever.
Despite the hurdles, the Trump administration believes the current crisis has created a unique opening. By framing the Gaza deal as a starting point for regional integration and prosperity, Trump hopes to convince key Arab allies that the time is right to move past old enmities and forge a new future with Israel.