US President Donald Trump has said Saudi Arabia should accept Israel’s offer to help fight Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthis) and he believes Riyadh will take it.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, October 16, Trump was asked whether Saudi Arabia should accept the help Israel is offering against the Houthis.
“Yeah, I do, sure. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia,” he replied, according to The Times of Israel. He added that he thinks the Saudis “will” accept it.
Trump Says Saudi-Israel Normalization Is Back on the Table
Trump was also asked whether Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords was back on the table. “Yeah, I think so. Maybe more than ever,” he said, calling the accords one of his administration’s greatest achievements. He said Saudi Arabia is “very happy” to have the support of Israel and the United States.
The Abraham Accords are a set of 2020 agreements under which several Arab countries normalized relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has long said normalization depends on the creation of a Palestinian state.
Riyadh Reportedly Rejected Israel’s Offer
Trump’s remarks contrast with earlier reports from Israel.
On October 12, Israeli newspaper Haaretz said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had turned down Netanyahu’s help made through US mediation against the Houthis. The report said the crown prince feared a backlash from the Saudi public. Saudi authorities have not commented publicly on the report or on Trump’s latest remarks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asked in an interview this week whether the Saudis had sought help, said that “there are barely any Middle Eastern states that aren’t asking us for help.”
Attacks on Saudi Airports
An attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 10 killed 13 people and injured more than 300, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. A second strike the next day reportedly killed a Pakistani national and injured 11 others.
The airport was then closed until October 17, forcing airlines across Europe and Asia to cancel flights. Analysts had already warned that the pressure from the Houthis could push Riyadh closer to Israel.
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