During a White House meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump embraces closer relations with Saudi Arabia, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS. In his transactional style, Trump touts expected Saudi commitments to Gaza’s reconstruction and an expanded Saudi promise of $1 trillion in business investments in the United States. In exchange, Trump signs a security agreement designating Saudi Arabia as a “major, non-NATO ally” and allowing the Saudis to become the only Middle Eastern country other than Israel to buy F-35 fighter jets. Unlike the Reagan administration’s decision in 1981 to sell AWACS military aircraft to Saudi Arabia, Israel’s U.S. supporters raise barely a peep against the F-35 sale. (source)
