MBS Torn Between Trump and Saudi People on Potential Israel Deal
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince sees an opportunity to get a defense, technology and nuclear cooperation deal but he will have to tread carefully given his young population has reawakened to the Palestinian cause amid the war in Gaza.
A billboard in Ramat Gan, Israel on Feb. 4.
Photographer: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
At the White House on Tuesday, Donald Trump told reporters the US should “take over” and redevelop the Gaza Strip, with the help of Saudi Arabia, and Benjamin Netanyahu said he believes a peace deal between the oil-rich kingdom and Israel is “going to happen.”
Some White House aides soon walked back the president’s comments, saying he was thinking creatively and out loud. Even so, the proposal shocked many leaders in the Middle East, drawing rebukes from them and counterparts in Europe.