US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday. Among the meetings, one stands out: an expanded session in Riyadh that will include Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (also known as al-Julani). For Israel, this development is troubling on several fronts.
Mahmoud Abbas is not attending because he insisted; he was invited by the crown prince. He will be part of a group of Arab leaders meeting the US president during his visit to Saudi Arabia. The invitation is a deliberate move, intended to place critical regional issues directly before Trump.
The crown prince is sending a message: the Palestinian Authority cannot be bypassed, despite Israel’s attempts to do so. “You want to talk to us? We’re open to that. You want trade and big deals? Absolutely. But there’s also a political dimension — and here we are clear: there is no bypass around Ramallah. Mahmoud Abbas is part of the delegation. He’s one of us. You must see the region as we do, not as the Israelis present it.”
That message is taking form, and the White House has not objected. Nor was it expected to. Trump appears untroubled by the development — and that, precisely, is Netanyahu’s problem. The facts are clear: Trump will meet Abbas during his regional tour, but not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Saudi insistence on Abbas’s participation is not merely a domestic signal or a gesture to the broader Arab world. It reflects changing regional political and security dynamics, and they are not working in Israel’s favor.
Saudi demands, initially raised in response to the war in Gaza, have escalated further in recent weeks. Two key decisions by the US contributed to this: the move to end military operations against the Houthis, despite their continued ballistic missile attacks on Israel, and the push to advance major US-Saudi agreements without conditioning them on normalization with Israel.
Regardless of Trump’s intentions, the regional message is unmistakable: the US is stepping back, leaving Israel to manage its own threats. The US is no longer Israel’s “Iron Dome.” That is the current reality, whatever anyone may claim.
Trump’s sidelining reduces Israel’s relevance in the region
Israel’s regional position has deteriorated. Unlike before October 7, 2023, normalization with Israel now requires tangible returns, not vague or symbolic gestures. Even slogans are beyond Netanyahu’s capacity in 2025.
In this shifting landscape, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman faces image challenges. He is under growing criticism, even without actively pursuing normalization with Israel. Earlier remarks continue to draw scrutiny, and current events in Gaza — viewed by many in the Arab world as genocidal — only increase the pressure. He must demonstrate solidarity with the Arab cause, not just economic alignment with Washington.
Abbas’s invitation also serves another purpose. A photograph of the Palestinian leader alongside fellow Arab heads of state and the US president could offer the crown prince political cover — a symbolic gesture legitimizing any US-Saudi deal in Arab public opinion.
That is the underlying point — and it is no longer about Israel. Israel is no longer a key variable. Who in the region would factor in Israel, when even the US president appears disengaged, whether on the Houthi threat or on the Saudi deal? In the Middle East, weakness is quickly noticed. Egypt is not rushing to approve a new Israeli ambassador, nor is it sending one to Tel Aviv. That is no accident.
Trump, acting according to a pragmatic and transactional approach, may not recognize the reputational and strategic damage this is causing Israel. If normalization is no longer a condition for US-Saudi ties, Israel’s role is diminishing. Riyadh can obtain trade and possibly nuclear deals without needing to talk about Israel.
Israel’s diplomatic relevance is slipping. Its standing is at a historic low. Netanyahu has no compelling offer for a US president focused on outcomes. Trump is pressing ahead with his priorities — and that is what matters.
Whether or not Abbas is present in Riyadh means little to Trump. Nor does Netanyahu’s opinion. Trump hasn’t shifted his stance. His priorities and methods remain consistent. That Israelis are surprised — that is their problem, not his.
Trump expects partnerships to yield concrete benefits. That view shaped his first term, though, then, under Jared Kushner, it led to the Abraham Accords. That was a measurable success, and it persuaded Trump.
Today, Israel has no new initiative to offer. Its role has shifted — from central player to distant observer.
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