Why the US is attacking France, but not Saudi Arabia, over the UN Palestine summit

The US has made no secret of the fact that it is not happy with the United Nations summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia on the question of a Palestinian state and implementing a two-state solution.

Some of US President Donald Trump’s closest allies and senior officials have slammed the event in New York City. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously called the summit “symbolic” and one with “no impact whatsoever” on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but nevertheless, a step that “emboldens” Hamas.

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has gone even further, calling the summit “revolting” and saying that France, one of the co-hosts, should give up the French Riviera for a Palestinian state.

While the Trump administration has shown no qualms about using bluster and bravado to criticise the summit, including mocking France, it has been noticeably silent about Saudi Arabia’s decision to co-host the event.

Diplomats and experts tell Middle East Eye the awkward US dance of bashing France while giving Saudi Arabia a pass reflects Riyadh’s power in Washington through its financial heft and, increasingly, decisions to spread its security ties around. 

Bader al-Saif, an assistant professor at Kuwait University, said the Trump administration has tacitly shown that it is unwilling to take its closest Arab allies to task on Palestine when they take action.

“Is France pumping in hundreds of billions of dollars into the US economy?” Saif said. “I don’t think so.”

“The Gulf has a lot more leverage than they think they do, and it’s the kind of practical language Trump understands.”

French President Emmanuel Macron received a standing ovation for his remarks at the UN summit on Monday. France has taken a more high-profile position on the event. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is not attending the General Assembly this year, but Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan spoke on his behalf at the event. 

Trump made a landmark visit to Saudi Arabia in May.

During the trip, he raised some hopes that his administration would avoid foreign entanglements and step back from intervention in the Middle East. His visit was embellished by a non-binding pledge from Saudi Arabia to invest $600bn in the US.

'The Gulf has a lot more leverage then they think they do'

- Bader al-Saif, Kuwait University

The impact of Trump’s speech, like the Saudi investment pledge, has been mixed.

Under pressure from Riyadh, Trump stopped a devastating US bombing campaign on Yemen’s Houthis - a truce that has held while the Houthis continue to launch missiles at Israel.

Likewise, Trump cut through the US establishment and Israeli lobbying efforts to lift sanctions on Syria.

But on the pivotal issues, Trump has not lived up to his speech.

He followed Israel into a war with Iran and bombed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites, although he quickly moved for a ceasefire. He has also given unconditional support for Israel’s onslaught in Gaza, which the UN, historians and human rights experts call a genocide. 

Likewise, the business deals with Saudi Arabia have not fully materialised.

No major arms sales have been announced publicly since the two sides signed a $142bn defence agreement. Saudi Arabia is set to be a big buyer of AI chips, but so far, there has been no public follow-up on the deals. 

‘Keeping Saudi Arabia on side’

When discussing the genocide in Gaza, Trump has been particularly combative.

He told US reporters that the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people was “genocide, I guess"- sidestepping a question on the UN’s recent decision that a genocide is occurring against the Palestinians in Gaza.

But Trump has been mute on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s own public declaration that Israel is committing genocide.

“The US’s two-sided approach stems from the president's gut feelings about these places, [Europe and the Gulf],” Gregory Gause, a visiting scholar at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington, told MEE.

'I think there is a desire to keep the Saudis on side'

-Gregory Gause, Middle East Institute

“Trump’s first impression of anything that comes from Germany or France is negative because he just doesn’t like them. The Gulf has an ability to get in his ear. They can get Trump’s attention more than the Europeans,” he said.

Trump is expected to meet officials from Turkey, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia at the sidelines of the UN to discuss Gaza, although many of those countries' leaders are not attending in person.  

One key reason it is easier for Trump’s ambassadors and envoys to beat up on France over the summit, compared to Saudi Arabia, is that the stakes aren’t as high.

The US’s quiet approach to Saudi Arabia is partly a reflection of the fact that its key Arab ally faces true anger among its people over the atrocities Israel is committing in Gaza, experts say.

While France is a Nato member trying to keep the US engaged in the alliance, Saudi Arabia is a free agent of sorts.

The Gulf states are alarmed by the US’s acquiescence to Israeli belligerence in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. The US’s approval of Israel’s attack on Hamas political officials in Doha, Qatar, hit Gulf monarchs like a slap in the face because they have long relied on the US to underwrite their security.

Last week, Saudi Arabia signed a defence pact with Pakistan - the only Muslim majority nuclear-armed state. Saudi Arabia has also turned to manufacturing its own ballistic missiles with the help of China, according to reports.

“The US took note of the defence pact with Pakistan, while the nuclear implications are unclear, I think there is a desire to keep the Saudis on side because some people see a Chinese hand through the Pakistanis,” Gause said.

“No one is worried about France leaving Nato.”