Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
Israel and Saudi Arabia seemed on the verge of establishing normal relations, but the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 changed everything after Israel began a horrific bombardment of Gaza in a revenge attack. The dead Israelis numbered about 1,400, but the dead Palestinians now amount to about 35,000, with more deaths recorded daily.
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office for the sixth time, he stated he had two main goals: to increase illegal settlements in the Occupied territory of the West Bank, and to sign a normalization pact with Saudi Arabia as part of the US-led Abraham Accords, which were rolled out during the administration of President Donald Trump.
US President Joe Biden continued the push for an Israeli-Saudi pact, and all signs appeared to point to a successful future normalization. Then Gaza happened, and the world watched in horror as Israel, supported by Biden, committed genocide in Gaza, with no end in sight to the genocide, and no end in sight to the American support of Israel.
Even though the hope of a pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia appears diminished, still Saudi Arabia has left the door open to Israel, but with conditions to be met before realizing the dream of Netanyahu, which could have implications for regional stability and a potential reset in Middle Eastern politics.
US-Israel goal of Saudi-Israel pact
Shared security concerns have played a pivotal role in bringing Saudi Arabia and Israel closer in recent years. With Iran's expanding influence on the regional stage, both nations now recognize the necessity of cooperation to counter common threats to their national security. Covert intelligence sharing, joint military exercises, and discreet diplomatic communications have helped forge a new understanding between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
Israel had a plan in which they would not make peace with the Palestinians, and would not give them freedom or human rights, but instead Israel would forge alliances with its Arab neighbors, thus by-passing the Palestinian issue.
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