The Real Worry: Israel Fears Trump Will Use Saudi Summit to Push Unwanted "Palestinian State" Plan

Israel is closely monitoring the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) to Washington, D.C., where he is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House tonight. The high-stakes summit follows President Trump's confirmation yesterday that he intends to move forward with the sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia.

In Jerusalem, despite prior apprehension regarding the potential erosion of the Israeli Air Force's Qualitative Military Edge (QME), a senior Israeli official sought to downplay the strategic threat: "We obviously would have preferred this not happen, but it does not change the regional balance."

The F-35 Sale and Israel’s Response

Reports about the massive arms deal had previously caused concern in Israel over the potential loss of its air superiority in the Middle East. However, following Trump’s confirmation, who called the Saudis "good allies", Israeli officials were quick to stress that the decision, while unwelcome, was expected.

An Israeli source emphasized that Israel's air superiority will be maintained, stating, "Our aerial advantage in the region will be preserved, this is not a decision that constitutes a strategic threat to us."

The official explained that Israel possesses sufficient technology to ensure the IDF's air supremacy remains intact. "This is another piece on the Middle East chessboard, but it does not change the regional balance vis-à-vis Israel," the source clarified, adding that the F-35 decision is currently "completely unrelated to normalization with Saudi Arabia."

Trump’s Palestinian Statehood Push Concerns

While the arms deal is being managed, the primary source of concern in Israel surrounding the summit is President Trump’s motivation to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during his talks with MbS.

Senior Israeli officials privately noted that predicting the future with Trump is impossible. They expressed concern that the President may attempt to showcase tangible progress with the Palestinians, possibly in the form of "outlining a certain path to an agreement or a new plan," to strengthen the chances of normalization with Saudi Arabia. This concern is amplified by the fact that the recent UN Security Council resolution, which passed 13-0 (with Russia and China abstaining), included a reference to a "credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood", language which Israeli officials strongly objected to.

The UN resolution, which authorizes an International Stabilization Force and the demilitarization of Hamas, was immediately rejected by the terrorist organization. Hamas condemned the resolution for imposing an "international guardianship mechanism" over Gaza and insisted that their weapons remain "a legitimate right" tied to ending the "occupation."

The full schedule for the Trump-MbS summit includes a formal welcome ceremony, a working meeting in the Oval Office, and an official dinner later this evening, underscoring the significance of this diplomatic engagement for both regional power dynamics and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.