US President, Donald Trump says Saudi Arabia should accept Israel’s offer of help in its fight against Yemen’s Houthis. He also said that a Saudi-Israeli normalisation deal is back on the table, “maybe more than ever.”

Trump spoke to reporters at the White House on Friday. Asked whether Riyadh should take up the Israeli offer, he replied, “Yeah, I do, sure. Israel has been very helpful to Saudi Arabia.” In some remarks he went further, saying he believes the kingdom will end up accepting the assistance.

He added that Saudi Arabia is “very happy” to have the support of both Israel and the United States, though he did not say what help Israel has already given.

The comments follow a report in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper earlier this week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had tried, through Washington, to offer Saudi Arabia help in its campaign against the Houthis. According to the report, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman turned the offer down.

A diplomatic source cited by the paper said the crown prince was not interested because fighting alongside Israel would not play well with Saudi public opinion. Saudi Arabia has not publicly commented on the offer.

The Houthis have sharply escalated attacks on the kingdom in recent weeks, hitting energy infrastructure and Riyadh’s international airport, with the coalition reporting 20 attacks on the airport this month.

The group has declared war on Saudi Arabia until the blockade of Houthi-held territory is lifted. Saudi forces have responded with heavy air strikes across Yemen, and Riyadh accuses Iran of arming and training the group, which Tehran denies.

Trump used the occasion to revive his push for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords. He has previously made a US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation deal conditional on the kingdom normalising ties with Israel. Riyadh has consistently said normalisation requires a credible path to Palestinian statehood. The two sides were reported to be close to a US-brokered deal before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

Opposition to the idea is already being voiced in the region. Commentary in Middle East Monitor warned that Israeli involvement would be a political and strategic trap, handing Saudi Arabia’s opponents a narrative that it is fighting as part of an American-Israeli front.

Photo Credit: Al Jazeera