Peloni: It is interesting that the message being conveyed here by MBS is that for Israel to gain normalization with Riyadh, it must suffer the permanent presence of a genocidal threat in Judea and Samaria as well as one in the north without complaint. At some point it must come to be recognized that stability in the region must include those security features which include rather than exclude Israel, and this would be the point on which normalization with SA should indicate. Indeed, failing to appreciate and endorse such things which secures Israel’s borders, something which MBS appears too timid to accept, only belies a phantom quality upon which the basis of any normalization deal might be struck. The entire point of normalization is that Israel should be accepted as a nation among its neighbors. Hence, requiring Israel to permit a fomenting threat to rise from within Syria provides a poor representation of what normalization actually means to the Saudi king. Israel must do as it needs to secure the north, regardless of the managed attempts by the US or the Saudi’s to require her to accept the menacing threat of Jolani’s well demonstrated genocidal cohorts.
President Donald Trump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa. Photo by White House – Karoline Leavitt in X, Public Domain, Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia is one of three countries backing the new government in Damascus, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, alongside Turkey and Qatar. In recent months, the Saudis have already conveyed angry messages to the United States over Israel’s actions, and it appears they are now beginning to use the issue as leverage in normalization talks between Riyadh and Jerusalem.
A source from the Saudi royal family told Kan News this week that in recent days, there is a growing belief in Riyadh that “Israel does not want a stable Syria, but rather one that is divided.” The source added: “Normalization is indeed tied to the Palestinian issue, but it seems that Israel now also wants to take control of southern Syria, which will impact normalization with Saudi Arabia as well.”
The royal family source further said that officials in Riyadh believe Israel is not interested in peace but prefers war, and that Israel’s conduct toward Syria, Lebanon and the West Bank is undermining normalization efforts – a message that has been conveyed to the Americans.
At present, it appears that without a security arrangement in Syria that would help stabilize the situation, normalization with Saudi Arabia – which is already distant due to Riyadh’s insistence on a two-state solution – could be pushed even further out of reach.
As far as Saudi Arabia and Syria are concerned, the royal family can “believe” whatever they want and as I said below, it is such a cute game to play. The Saudis have been calling for a Palestinian state but there already is one. The Israelis have caught up a little on this game by requiring to be recognized by their neighbors. Two can play hard to get!!
“Intervention in Syria pushes normalization further away.”
So what???!!!
You’re right! So what!?!?!?
For the Saudis, this is a nice game to play. They play hard to get with the intention to improve their bargaining position but they never really get to the dotted line unless they want to, like with the F35.
As far as Israel is concerned, if they can bargain themselves some benefit without signing on to the Abrahamic Accords, that’s the road they will take.
They can choose to ignore Israel and nothing bad will happen.
@dreuveni
I honestly do believe that MBS would have moved towards normalization before October 7, but October 7 changed everything. From the perspective of MBS, October 7 demonstrated that the Arab street was still palpably supportive of the Pals, demonstrating the danger of MBS pursuing normalization without a contingent solution for the Pals. So the very purpose of the AA has been undone, thanks to the Americans interceding on behalf of the Jihadis in Gaza and unnecessarily prolonging the war and playing along with the Jihadi narratives of genocide, famines, and Israeli atrocities. Now, more than two years later, the damage has been done. Sinwar has his victory of undoing the Abraham Accords being independent of dealing with the Pals first.