Israel and Saudi Arabia: Forging Ties on Quicksand
James Dorsey ■ As states, Saudi Arabia and Israel share few, if any common values, despite some cultural values that are common to Wahhabism, the austere form of Islam adopted by the kingdom, and ultra-orthodox Jews. But they increasingly have common interests. Both states perceive Iran, particularly an Iran that is a nuclear power, as an existential threat and share a determination to defeat the Muslim Brotherhood as well as Al Qaeda-inspired groups and defend as much of the political status quo in the region as possible against change that threatens to replace autocratic regimes with ones dominated by Islamist militants. A series of recent events indicate that those common interests have made Saudi Arabia, which based on its oil wealth, financial muscle and custody of Islam's two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, projects itself as a the leader of the Arab world less sensitive about going public about relations with Israel in the absence of a settlement of the Palestinian problem. As a result, Israel, which has long accommodated a Saudi need for secrecy is also becoming more public about cooperation between the two states. "Everything is underground, nothing is public.
Israel Shahak ■ “Greater Israel”: The Zionist Plan for the Middle East