Israel and Saudi Arabia 'Against Iran'; What is Today's Regional Puzzle?

The Independent newspaper reported that Saudi Arabia is ready to abandon the Palestinian issue and ally with Israel due to its opposition to Iran. This British newspaper published its report on Thursday, December 9, just days after recent developments between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Independent referenced recent comments by Yaakov Nagel, a former Israeli national security advisor, who stated that Saudi Arabia does not value the Palestinian issue 'one bit.' Nagel told the Telegraph, another British media outlet, that 'Saudi Arabia is willing to accept any deal regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; it does not matter to them what the solution is; they just want to say an agreement has been reached to take the next step.' The Independent also noted that as relations between Riyadh and Tehran have worsened in recent months, Saudi Arabia's relations with Israel have warmed. Since taking office, the Trump administration has repeatedly sent Jared Kushner, its senior advisor and son-in-law, to the region to find a solution for the century-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to sign the 'Deal of the Century.' The Independent wrote that as the U.S. attempts to unite Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies with Israel against Iran, many countries in the region hesitate to approach Israel until the Palestinian issue progresses. The report comes as Arab media reported last month that the Saudi king and crown prince summoned Mahmoud Abbas and told him to either accept the Trump administration's peace plan with Israel or resign. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir denied his country's secret relations with Israel during an interview with CBC Egypt at last month's Arab League foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo. According to al-Jubeir, the only discussion is about the 'Arab Peace Initiative,' which the then Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia proposed two decades ago; a plan offered by the Arab League to Israel to recognize its existence and normalize relations in exchange for ending the occupation of Palestinian territories. The alignment of Israel and Saudi Arabia has gained more attention despite the ongoing stagnation in the Israeli-Palestinian political process since the Saudi website Elaph interviewed Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot for the first time two weeks ago; in that conversation, General Eisenkot spoke of Israel's readiness for 'intelligence cooperation' with Saudi Arabia regarding 'shared concerns about Iran.' Three days later, Israeli statesman Yuval Steinitz stated that his country has had many behind-the-scenes connections with Saudi Arabia and various Arab and Islamic countries but has kept these relations quiet at the request of these Arab countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated last week that his country's relations with Arab states are becoming stronger because 'both are on the same front against radical Islam.' In a memorial for David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, Netanyahu said that when these relations mature, 'it will also make the expansion of the circle of peace possible'; however, he insisted on his conditions for peace with the Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Thursday, December 9, that revealing behind-the-scenes relations with Saudi Arabia is 'self-harm' for Israel. Michal Yaari, an Israeli expert on Saudi affairs, told Haaretz that while the excited Saudi crown prince has effectively taken control of Saudi affairs and has taken bold steps such as arresting major Saudi princes under the pretext of 'fighting corruption,' disclosing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia is like Israel 'shooting itself in the foot.' However, the reflection of years of Netanyahu's and Israeli officials' positioning regarding the nature of Iran's governance policies can recently be seen more clearly in the statements of Saudi leaders; the international community has long been familiar with Netanyahu's positioning, comparing Iran's governance and Tehran's policies to Hitler and likening the Iran nuclear deal with the Munich Agreement of 1938 between European countries and Hitler. In the week that Netanyahu emphasized strengthening 'fruitful relations between Israel and important Arab countries,' on the other side of the scene, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia referred to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as 'the Hitler of our time' in an interview with the New York Times, arguing that Europe compromised with Hitler and saw the result, but the Saudis 'will not make this mistake.' Thomas Friedman, an American journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner who interviewed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and published his comments comparing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Adolf Hitler, has recently stated that investors should be concerned about the possibility of war between Israel and Iran. On Tuesday, November 28, in an interview with CNBC, Friedman expressed 'confidence' that Israeli submarines with ready missiles are present in the Persian Gulf; a claim that Israel has yet to respond to. Friedman emphasized the 'tactical alliance' between Saudi Arabia and Israel regarding fears of Iran, adding that anyone who thinks the next regional war will be limited to just Israel and Iran or to the Golan Heights and southern Lebanon 'is fooling themselves,' as this war will also extend to the Persian Gulf and threaten this vital waterway for oil passage.