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Officials conduct search and rescue operation following Israeli attacks on a farm in the village of al-Jemaliyya, near the city of Baalbek, Lebanon on June 19, 2026. [Suleiman Amhaz – Anadolu Agency]

Arab nations are increasingly viewing Saudi Arabia as their primary diplomatic channel to moderate Donald Trump’s Middle East policies, particularly regarding the Palestinian cause, which has resurged as the region’s paramount concern amidst Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

According to diplomats quoted in the Financial Times, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is positioned as the “key player” in influencing Trump’s approach to the Palestinian issue, once the former president returns to office. “The key player in the region is Saudi Arabia because of their known relations with him, so it will be the linchpin of any regional actions the US might decide to do,” one Arab diplomat told the FT.

Read: What Trump’s second term could mean for the Middle East

The political landscape has shifted dramatically since Trump’s first term. Saudi Arabia has restored diplomatic relations with Iran, and the kingdom, along with other Arab and Muslim nations, have been forced to reconsider their relations with a country committing genocide. This realignment was in view at the recent Arab and Islamic summit in Riyadh, where the Crown Prince accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, marking a significant hardening of Saudi Arabia’s position.

The summit, which brought together more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations, sent a clear message to Trump about the region’s unified stance on Palestinian rights. “Trump is somebody who likes to be handed ready-deals he can take credit for,” a senior diplomat reported to the FT, adding that while MBS might present Trump with potential agreements, these would necessarily need to address Palestinian aspirations.

The Palestinian cause has become impossible to sideline, with Arab leaders particularly worried about radicalisation among their youth. As one Arab diplomat explained: “Trump will need to end the war in Gaza, and to do that you need to address the day after. He will need some focus on the Palestinian track or the regional element won’t work. Saudi Arabia has said bluntly that unless there’s a Palestinian state, normalisation is not an option.”

Read: The summit of shame

While Trump and bin Salman maintained warm relations during the former’s presidency, marked by significant financial deals and political support, the Crown Prince has recently positioned Saudi Arabia as the architect of a broader Arab and Muslim consensus on Palestine. “Saudi Arabia could heavily influence how Trump deals with Gaza and Palestine,” another official told the FT. “A lot of the countries in the region are concerned about what comes next.”

The strategic positioning by bin Salman is seen as having provided him with an opportunity to project himself as a regional leader. A second Arab diplomat said that the Crown Prince had found the “password” to the Middle East’s leadership role. “The only issue that unites the Arab world is the Palestinian issue,” the diplomat said, while cautioning about the challenges ahead: “The question is how much Saudi Arabia can invest in this . . . and how much Netanyahu will have the ability to torpedo it.”

Arab officials believe Trump’s success in any regional agreements will depend on his ability to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make concessions regarding Palestinian statehood – something Netanyahu currently “vociferously rejects.”

The devastating toll of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has forced Arab states to reconsider their relationships with Israel, with normalisation efforts now firmly tied to progress on Palestinian statehood. The unified stance of Arab and Muslim states suggests that despite Trump’s personal rapport with bin Salman, any future dealings would need to accommodate the broader Arab and Muslim consensus on Palestinian rights, marking a significant shift from his first term in office.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/ — Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Keir "I support Zionism without Qualification" Starmer supporting genocide. He berates Palestine Action for upholding international law and prevent his - Labour and Israel's - Gaza genocide. Starmer says that that they've got a genocide to achieve, forced marches like the Nazis did, hospitals to bomb into obliteration, journalists, healthcare workers and starving people queuing for food to mass-murder and that they have to murder all Gazans for Zionism. — Keir “I support Zionism without Qualification” Starmer supporting genocide. He berates Palestine Action for upholding international law and prevent his – Labour and Israel’s – Gaza genocide. Starmer says that that they’ve got a genocide to achieve, forced marches like the Nazis did, hospitals to bomb into obliteration, journalists, healthcare workers and starving people queuing for food to mass-murder and that they have to murder all Gazans for Zionism.

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