A prominent evangelical leader and ally of former President Donald Trump has claimed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) privately indicated he is ready to recognize Israel immediately, but that his father, King Salman, remains the primary obstacle to such a historic move. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion organization, shared the account during a visit to Israel, relaying details of a two-hour meeting with the Saudi crown prince that also included MBS's brother and the Saudi foreign minister.
"When I talked to the crown prince, he told me that he would acknowledge Israel today," Evans said. "But he said his problem was his father." The claim, reported by The Jerusalem Post, could not be independently verified. It comes at a time when the United States is seeking to expand the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations brokered during the Trump administration.
Background on the Abraham Accords and Saudi Arabia
The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Saudi Arabia has long been viewed as the most strategically significant prize for normalization, given its leading role in the Muslim and Arab worlds. Publicly, Riyadh has linked recognition of Israel to progress on the Palestinian issue, including the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, behind the scenes, there have been signs of warming ties, including intelligence cooperation and visits by Israeli officials, though no formal diplomatic recognition has occurred.
Evans' assertion that MBS is personally willing to move forward but is constrained by his father adds a new dimension to the complex Saudi dynamics. King Salman, aged 89, has historically been more cautious regarding Israel, partly due to his commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions normalization on a full Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied after 1967 and a resolution to the Palestinian refugee issue. In contrast, MBS, who is de facto ruler and day-to-day manager of the kingdom, has pursued a more aggressive modernization and diversification agenda under Vision 2030, and has shown greater flexibility on regional issues.
Trump's Push for Expanded Normalization
The claim emerges alongside renewed efforts by former President Donald Trump to use his influence to bring more Muslim-majority countries into the Abraham Accords. Trump said Monday that he had spoken with leaders from Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, urging them to normalize relations with Israel as part of a broader push to secure a deal with Iran. "The president plans on delivering these countries because he's trying to move towards a genuine peace," Evans said.
Trump's proposal includes countries with complex relations with Israel. Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been among the harshest critics of Israeli policy in Gaza and has consistently supported the Palestinian cause. Qatar hosts Hamas leaders and has played a mediating role in hostage negotiations. Pakistan has never recognized Israel and maintains strong ties with Iran and its own domestic Islamist constituencies. Egypt and Jordan already have peace treaties with Israel, but their populations remain largely hostile to normalization. Saudi Arabia's normalization would likely trigger a domino effect in the region, especially among Gulf states.
Evans argued that Trump's personal relationships and leverage could overcome these obstacles. "Donald Trump has got enormous negotiating leverage with Saudi Arabia right now. Enormous leverage," he said. This leverage may stem from Trump's willingness to sell arms, security guarantees, and economic incentives, as well as his transactional approach to foreign policy.
MBS's Stance on Palestinians and Jerusalem
According to Evans, the Saudi crown prince was sharply critical of the Palestinians during their private conversation. "The crown prince said, speaking to the Palestinians, they wasted our money," Evans said. "He said they shouldn't be attacking Israel. They should be copying Israel." This aligns with MBS's public statements about the need for Palestinians to accept peace and focus on development, rather than resistance.
Evans also claimed that MBS rejected the idea of dividing Jerusalem into two capitals for Israel and a future Palestinian state. "When he spoke about Jerusalem, he said if there was ever two capitals in Jerusalem, it'd be a terror capital," Evans quoted MBS as saying. "He appeared to be more pro-Israel than a large percentage of the Jewish population." Such a view, if accurate, would represent a significant departure from the traditional Saudi position that East Jerusalem must be the capital of a Palestinian state, and could complicate any future peace plan.
Internal Republican Debate Over Israel
Evans also addressed the ongoing debate within the conservative movement regarding U.S. support for Israel. In particular, he focused on Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who has been critical of Israel and has voiced skepticism about foreign aid. Evans claimed that Friends of Zion had mobilized 1,000 pastors who visited Israel and then launched a social media campaign against Carlson, generating 138 million views. "Tucker Carlson right now has been thrown under the bus by Donald Trump. He's out," Evans said, though Carlson remains influential among younger right-wing audiences.
This internal battle reflects a broader generational and ideological shift within the Republican Party. While traditional evangelicals and neoconservatives remain staunchly pro-Israel, a growing isolationist wing led by figures like Carlson and Senator J.D. Vance questions the benefits of unlimited support for foreign allies, including Israel. The Trump coalition encompasses both groups, and the former president has tried to balance them, but recent developments suggest that the pro-Israel camp may still hold sway, at least when it comes to Middle East policy.
Evans warned that Gulf money might be fueling anti-Israel narratives online. "There's a huge amount of Gulf oil money, documents of AI that are being used to fuel and feed all of this," he claimed, without providing evidence. The accusation suggests a complex interplay between regional governments and disinformation, though it is not clear which Gulf countries or interests are involved.
Implications for Iran Policy
The push for normalization is closely tied to Trump's stance on Iran. The former president has expressed interest in a new deal with Iran, but he has also maintained the "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions. Critics fear that a deal could lead to a reduction in U.S. commitments to Israel and the Gulf states. Evans defended Trump, saying "No president in history has done more for the State of Israel than this president." He also warned Iran not to underestimate Trump: "If they try to play him for the fool, he'll come back and hit them."
Trump's proposed linkage between an Iran deal and Arab normalization is reminiscent of his first-term strategy, where he attempted to use the fear of Iran to push Gulf states toward Israel. That strategy partially succeeded with the Abraham Accords, but now he aims to expand it further. The inclusion of countries like Turkey and Pakistan, however, indicates a more ambitious plan that may be difficult to execute given their domestic politics and foreign policy orientations.
Evans expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia will eventually join the accords, suggesting that the Palestinian issue is not the real obstacle. "I'm not so sure that was holding it up," he said. "I think honestly things have changed. I think there's no problem with him. I think he'll do it. I think Donald Trump means it." The question remains whether King Salman will step aside or be persuaded to allow his son to proceed.
The story of MBS's reported comments adds new intrigue to the already complex dynamics of Middle East diplomacy. If true, it suggests that the younger Saudi leader is willing to defy traditional constraints and align his country more closely with Israel and the United States. However, the unverified nature of the claim and the lack of independent confirmation should lead to caution. The coming months may reveal whether the private words of a future king translate into public policy, or whether the older generation's caution prevails.
Source: MSN News