President Trump told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in a phone call last month that, with the Gaza war ending, he expects Saudi Arabia to move toward normalization with Israel, two U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: U.S. officials have told the Saudis they're hoping for progress on that issue around the Trump-MBS meeting next week at the White House, though they acknowledge the gaps between the Saudis and Israelis remain wide, the U.S. officials said.

Behind the scenes: The call between Trump and MBS, which was not previously made public, took place after the Gaza peace summit in Egypt last month. • A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the call said Trump told MBS he'd managed to end the war in Gaza, and now wanted the crown prince to move toward normalization

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