A source within the Saudi royal family told Kan11 News on Sunday night that there was significant optimism in Riyadh ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit. According to the report, the Saudis are seeking to persuade the president to adopt their framework for resolving the “Palestinian” issue, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state, an end to the war in Gaza, and normalization of relations between Israel and Arab nations.
The expected release of Edan Alexander on Monday appears to be another US attempt to pressure both Israel and Hamas toward a broader agreement. Given President Trump’s previously limited focus on Gaza—highlighted by his declining interest in his own proposal for the voluntary emigration of two million Gazans—there is concern that if this move fails to yield a wider deal, and with no additional living American citizens among the remaining hostages, the administration’s interest in advancing the negotiations may wane.
Israel was not a party to the secret talks that led to Alexander’s release. In a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Hamas might free Alexander as a goodwill gesture toward the US. However, when pressed by committee members on whether a larger agreement was imminent, Netanyahu responded that Hamas might release half the hostages, or possibly only Edan Alexander.
For the first time since the downfall of the Biden administration, Israel is not in the know regarding the Americans’ Middle East policy.
President Trump is set to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday. One of the key meetings scheduled is an extended multilateral meeting in Riyadh, which is expected to include Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as al-Julani). For Israel, this development is troubling.
If reports are accurate, Abbas’s participation stems from a direct invitation by the Saudi Crown Prince, a clear message to President Trump that the Palestinian Authority remains a central player in regional diplomacy. Bin Salman appears intent on signaling to Washington that, contrary to Israel’s attempts to sideline the PA, Riyadh still considers it a legitimate and necessary partner. In other words, Trump is welcome to sign deals and make lots of money, but there will be no normalization of relations with Israel without a Palestinian state.
TRUMP TO FLY QATAR AIR
Speaking of deals and money, ABC News reported that President Trump is “poised to accept” a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar’s royal family, intended for his use until the end of his term. Trump confirmed the offer Sunday night on Truth Social:
“So, the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA.”
According to Asharq Al Awsat, the trip is expected to draw a herd of high-profile American business leaders to the Saudi capital. Executives from Wall Street and Silicon Valley—notably BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Palantir CEO Alex Karp—are slated to attend the Saudi-US Investment Forum, which will take place alongside President Trump’s visit.
Top representatives from Citigroup, IBM, Qualcomm, Alphabet, and Franklin Templeton are also expected to participate. David Sacks, the White House’s senior advisor on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, will be present at the forum as well.
Economic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia remain strong, diverse, and on an upward trajectory. In 2024, bilateral trade between the two countries reached $32.3 billion, a notable increase from $22.9 billion in 2020. According to the Federation of Saudi Chambers, the US is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest supplier and sixth-largest export market.
US Census Bureau data further show that goods trade between the two nations totaled $25.9 billion in 2024, with American exports to Saudi Arabia valued at $13.2 billion and imports at $12.7 billion. This resulted in a US trade surplus of $443.3 million.
Riyadh believes that President Trump is increasingly receptive to their longstanding approach to resolving the Palestinian issue. A source within the Saudi royal family expressed strong optimism that Trump could be persuaded to support a comprehensive agreement—one that would include recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian state, an end to the war in Gaza with the removal of Hamas, and the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab states.
The Saudi source that spoke to Kan 11 News noted that while certain elements of the initiative are open to negotiation, two core principles are non-negotiable: recognition of a Palestinian state and a definitive end to the Gaza war. The source stressed that Israel should not squander what the Saudis, and eventually, Trump as well, see as a rare and significant diplomatic opportunity.
