New 'Significant' Connection Between Saudi Arabia and the UAE with Israel, According to The New York Times

The New York Times reported on Saturday, September 6, about the increasing closeness between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with Israel, evaluating the new communication channels among them as 'serious and important' in an 'unwritten alliance against Iran.' The newspaper noted that relations between Arab countries and Israel have been advancing more recently, and the new communication methods among them are 'real' and 'important.' The essential note of The New York Times, titled 'Can Israel and Arab Countries Be Friends?' has been published. The newspaper recalled that secret communications between Israel and the Sunni government of Saudi Arabia, which apparently has no relations with Israel and does not even recognize it, as well as some other Arab countries, have developed recently, and their similar views regarding 'distrust of Iran' are turning into an 'open pact.' The New York Times referred to the public visit of a Saudi delegation to Israel last month, led by retired General Anwar Eshki, and the confirmation of a meeting between the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Director General and him in Jerusalem. According to The New York Times, Eshki and Dori Gold have had secret contacts for the past two years, and last year they appeared together at a conference in Washington. Eshki had previously met with several Jewish Knesset representatives and leaders of the opposition in another trip to the region. The New York Times recalled the Arab-Israeli wars, including the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but noted that now the Israeli Prime Minister is seeking cooperation with former enemies. Simultaneously, since King Salman bin Abdulaziz ascended to the Saudi throne a year and a half ago, he and his successor, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have shown a renewed determination to adopt new policies, even if they carry risks. The newspaper stated that even if Eshki is not an official representative of the Saudi government, it seems that Saudi Arabia is making efforts to prepare society for breaking the taboo of relations with Israel and wants to gauge Saudi society through actions like Eshki's meeting with Israeli officials. The New York Times wrote that a media campaign is also underway in Saudi Arabia in this context. The rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel comes at a time when the Saudi government's relations with Iran have been severed for seven months and are worsening daily. The New York Times added that the Saudis and Israelis can also overlook the Palestinians in this connection, as they have sufficient reasons to come closer to each other, with their shared views against Iran, a predominantly Shia country, at the forefront of these common arguments. 'Common dissatisfaction' with the U.S. approach to the nuclear deal with Iran and other policies that have led to the Syrian issue, as well as 'common concerns' about the spread of instability in the Middle East, are mentioned as other reasons that have drawn Israel and the Saudis to cooperate with each other in The New York Times report. According to the newspaper's assessment, since Israel has recently faced demands in the West aimed at sanctions, isolation, and boycotting the country due to its policies against the Palestinians, the Israeli Prime Minister has sought new allies instead of the U.S. Based on this analysis, Benjamin Netanyahu is eager to normalize relations with Arab countries and invest in potential economic capacities with them. The recent improvement in Israel's relations with Turkey and Netanyahu's recent trip to African countries, according to The New York Times, are part of his government's policies aimed at turning to potential regional and international allies, in distrust of the U.S. government. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, and Yuval Steinitz, a member of the Likud party and responsible for the 'Iran file' in the Israeli government, have repeatedly stated that 'the time has come for Arab countries to make their contacts with Israel public.' Netanyahu has also reported on 'significant' and 'fundamental' developments in his country's secret relations with 'important' Arab countries that have not had official relations with Israel. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah in Lebanon, has also severely criticized Saudi Arabia, stating that the Saudis have turned to normalize relations with Israel 'for free' and without receiving any price from Israel. The New York Times noted that Egypt has also recently taken steps to warm its always cold relations with Israel; a week before General Anwar Eshki's arrival in Israel, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Jerusalem for the first time in nine years.