Some Arab countries have recently formalized their relations with Israel and many political analysts see in it the important role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, or even the general idea of a “strategic alliance with Israel” of which Saudi Arabia would be the cornerstone, even if it means losing every day a little more its place in Muslim public opinion and its prestige as a regional weight and powerful country within the world of Islam.
The Fars News agency has published on its website an article by Al-Akhbar that dwells on this subject.
Quoting an unnamed Moroccan diplomat, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar wrote on Monday, December 21 that Saudi Arabia has always been a “key player” in the normalization process between the Arab monarchies and Israel.
The Lebanese newspaper wrote: “Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are playing the “sponsor of these new agreements”; since the promises that the United States is making to the Arab countries, in order to persuade them to normalize their relations with the Israeli regime earlier, depend on Saudi-emirati support. In other words, either Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates must offer direct support to this process, or they must participate in the investment plans guaranteeing Lion’s share to Israel. »
But it is not only a question of “aid”; “we are also dealing with the overall idea of a strategic alliance with the Israeli regime”. According to Al-Akhbar, the attitude of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates leads one to conclude that they are dependent on the West, especially the United States, to guarantee their security.
The “existential struggle” in which these countries believe they are involved requires them to fight against the party opposite, namely the axis of the Resistance. That said, maintaining relations with Israel is no longer a controversial issue for these countries; “it is just the nature of these relations that should be examined,” Al-Akhbar adds.
“In occupied Palestine, no one is convinced that establishing relations with the governments of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia will change the people’s perception of the Israeli regime. Israeli strategists are well aware that the above-mentioned few states will not be able to change the ideology of the Resistance.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the countries that have great concerns about their political, security and economic order. They feel that American support is not sufficient, and since 2011, these countries are convinced that the presence of the United States in the region would no longer be possible, unless it is in the form of a proxy presence.
For its part, the Israeli regime realized in 2006 that it would no longer be able to start a war, except with American support. Against this background, the Israeli regime has a double concern: the enlargement of the zone of influence of the axis of resistance, but also, the possible collapse of Arab regimes in the Persian Gulf, which, moreover, will considerably limit the room for maneuver of Americans and Europeans in the region. For these countries, this question makes the “direct presence of Israel” a necessity.
Those familiar with regional issues will confirm that the Israeli regime, in turn, is no longer satisfied with information provided by stipulated networks and individuals, and prefers its intelligence services to be directly supported in the above-mentioned countries. And the presence of these elements requires a kind of legitimacy that could be obtained through the normalization process. »
According to Al-Akhbar, Saudi Arabia would be the cornerstone of this “new alliance charged with a multitude of missions”. That is why Saudi leaders are trying so hard, both inside and outside of Arabia, to consolidate the pillars of this alliance, the article concludes.
by Basit Abbasi