Alongside Netanyahu, Trump says Saudis not demanding Palestinian state for normalization

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

US President Donald Trump, right, meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, February 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
US President Donald Trump, right, meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, February 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald hold a press conference in the Oval Office before sitting down for a private meeting, with Trump saying Saudi Arabia isn’t demanding a Palestinian state as a precondition for normalization with Israel.

This has thus far been a clear condition in public remarks by Riyadh.

Asked if the Saudis are demanding a Palestinian state, Trump says, “No, they’re not.”

Responding to a question whether Riyadh is asking for at least a path toward a Palestinian state, Trump says that “everyone is demanding one thing — peace.”

“We have the right leader of Israel” to go forward on a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, Trump says.

He says of Netanyahu, “he wants peace also.”

He says that Netanyahu is “doing a great job,” and “we’ve been friends for a long time.”

Asked whether he might win the Nobel Peace Prize if he can get all the hostages back, Trump says, “They will never give me a Nobel prize.”

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