The Saudi response was swift — reiterating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s demands for an independent Palestinian state as part of any normalization agreement and rejecting the “infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” or “attempts to displace” them from their land.

President Trump wants to broker normal ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, but his proposal to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza just made that a lot harder.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince sees an opportunity to get a defense, technology and nuclear cooperation deal but he will have to tread carefully given his young population has reawakened to the Palestinian cause amid the war in Gaza.