Speculation over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s mid-November visit to the US is leading the conversation on Saudi Arabia in the foreign press, as US President Trump signals that Saudi-Israel normalization is “very close” and could be finalized by year-end. Trump’s statements come contrary to the views of most analysts and insiders, who say that such a development is not a priority for the Kingdom — and may even be “virtually impossible” under current conditions, the New York Times reports.

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Defense pact and nuclear ambitions top the agenda, as sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper Riyadh and Washington are preparing to sign a mutual defense pact modeled after the US-Qatar agreement. Saudi Arabia is also seeking to acquire F-35 stealth fighter jets and US assistance for a civilian nuclear program — both viewed as strategic goals for bin Salman. Securing these agreements, even if it is short of a Congress-ratified treaty, would mark a significant diplomatic gain for the Crown Prince.

The newspaper is echoing the wide belief that normalization still hinges on Palestinian statehood. Normalization is predicated on Israel taking an “irrevocable, major step” toward creating a Palestinian state — a long-standing Saudi condition, said Saudi commentator Ali Shihabi. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition opposing Palestinian statehood, analysts see little prospect for progress. Without addressing the “root causes” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, normalization would be politically untenable in the Kingdom, said Bader Al Saif Kuwait University history professor.

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