President Donald Trump’s high-stakes meeting last week with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) became tense over a potential Saudi–Israeli peace deal, according to multiple U.S. officials briefed on the discussion.

Behind closed doors, Trump aggressively pushed the Saudi leader to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel — a move the White House hoped to tout as a post–Gaza war breakthrough. But MBS resisted, warning that Saudi public opinion is sharply hostile to Israel after the conflict and insisting that no deal is possible without concrete steps toward Palestinian statehood.

Officials who witnessed or were briefed on the Nov. 18 meeting described Trump as visibly frustrated by the crown prince’s refusal to advance normalization immediately.

“The best way to say it is disappointment and irritation,” one source told Axios. “The president really wants them to join the Abraham Accord… But MBS is a strong man. He stood his ground.”

MBS reportedly told Trump he supports normalization in principle but cannot move forward without “an irreversible, credible and time-bound path” toward establishing a Palestinian state.

The demand clashes directly with Israel’s current government, which opposes any roadmap to statehood.

Another U.S. official emphasized that the Saudi leader was not walking away from the deal entirely: “The door is open for doing it later. But the two-state solution is an issue.”

White House aides had prepped MBS ahead of the meeting, warning that Trump expected progress on peace with Israel. But when Trump raised the issue himself — repeatedly — the conversation turned “tough,” officials said.

The meeting contrasted sharply with the diplomatic smiles presented to the cameras, where both men praised one another and projected unity. Trump hoped to capitalize on what he calls a transformed Middle East following two events he has repeatedly boasted about: the obliteration of Iran’s nuclear program and the end of the Gaza War.

The meeting also created confusion on military policy. Trump told MBS publicly that Saudi Arabia would receive the same F-35 fighter jets that Israel uses, despite objections from the Israelis. But the following day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reassured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Saudi Arabia would receive a downgraded version.

“We told the Israelis we are committed to the [qualitative military edge] and we are not going to violate it,” a U.S. official said, referring to a U.S.-law requirement ensuring Israel maintains superior military capabilities.

One subject Trump did not raise: the ongoing lawsuit from 9/11 families accusing Saudi officials of assisting the attackers. A federal judge recently allowed the case to move forward, citing what the court described as overwhelming evidence tying Saudi operatives to the plot.

Despite the growing legal threat and public scrutiny, sources said Trump steered clear of the topic entirely during the meeting.

The White House remains publicly hopeful that Saudi Arabia will eventually join the Abraham Accords. A senior official released a statement saying Trump envisions a “prosperous Middle East” built on all regional players — including Saudi Arabia — entering into peace agreements with Israel.

But behind the scenes, the message from bin Salman was blunt: normalization will come only on Saudi terms, and only when Israel accepts a move toward Palestinian statehood.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)