Trump Pledges F-35s To Saudi Arabia In Return For An Unlikely $1 Trillion In Investment, Angering Israel Lobbies

How likely is it that these investments will rise by hundreds of billions of dollars in 4 years?

By Juan Cole, Informed Comment

One US goal for the meeting was to induct Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords, which Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Kazakhstan have joined, recognizing Israel in return for U.S. economic and security pledges or other quid pro quos, in such a way as to throw the Palestinians under the bus. Some believe the Abraham Accords led to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, the leaders of which feared being permanently sidelined.

Bin Salman politely declined the invitation, saying he could only sign on to the accords if a firm pathway to statehood for the Palestinians were established. Since the Israeli government is dead set against any Palestinian state, insisting the Palestinians remain serfs without rights forever, Bin Salman is excusing himself from the entire affair. He has previously expressed fears of being assassinated if he signed the accords while the Israelis were actively genociding the Palestinians.

Trump nevertheless proclaimed his friendship for Bin Salman and praised him for having pledged $600 billion in Saudi investments in the United States over four years. Bin Salman then promised to nearly double it to $1 trillion.

Like most things in Trumpworld these investment figures are pure fantasies, and it is disturbing that he is apparently making geopolitical policy on this basis. After the meeting, Trump elevated Saudi Arabia to the status of major non-NATO ally.