Trump's push for Israel-Saudi relations faces obstacles amid elections, Houthi attacks - analysis

US President Donald Trump renewed calls for Saudi Arabia to accept Israeli assistance against Yemen's Houthis, reviving questions about normalization. Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, Israel's approaching election, and Saudi demands for a Palestinian state pathway remain obstacles. Analysts note Saudi public opinion is against Israel. Saudi Arabia seeks regional partners: Egypt, Turkey, and Britain have offered support.

US President Donald Trump's renewed call for Saudi Arabia to accept Israeli assistance against Yemen's Houthis has revived questions about whether shared security threats could bring Riyadh and Jerusalem closer to normalization. However, mounting attacks on Saudi infrastructure, Israel's approaching election, and unresolved disagreements over Palestinian statehood continue to complicate the prospect of formal relations. Asked on October 16 whether Saudi Arabia should accept Israeli help, Trump replied: "I do, I think they will. Israel's been very helpful to Saudi Arabia." He also suggested that Saudi-Israeli normalization could be back on the table, "maybe more than ever." His comments did not establish whether Riyadh had requested Israeli military assistance or agreed to any overt security partnership. Saudi Arabia is confronting an intensified campaign by the Iran-backed Houthis, whose missiles and drones have targeted airports, oil facilities, and shipping. An attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people. For Riyadh, accepting Israeli military assistance would carry political consequences at home. Dr. Yoel Guzansky of INSS noted that since the Yemen war there have been contacts with Israel, but the Saudis, because of public opinion, did not guarantee any open contact. A September 30 incident illustrated the limits of cooperation: after a flydubai aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh refused an Israeli request to allow military aircraft to retrieve the Israeli passengers. Saudi Arabia has maintained that any normalization agreement must include a credible pathway toward an independent Palestinian state, a condition Israel's current government has resisted. The article also notes that Saudi Arabia is seeking assistance from regional partners: Egypt agreed to support Saudi defense, Turkey submitted a mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for ratification, and Britain announced RAF Typhoon patrols over Saudi territory.