Amid ongoing regional challenges and shifting alliances, Israeli media is addressing increasing signs of a Saudi-Israeli rapprochement under American auspices, driven by mutual economic and security interests, and linked to Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for the future of the Kingdom and the region.
The Israeli newspaper “Israel Hayom” affirmed that the United States expects a real rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia to occur during the coming year, and perhaps before the upcoming Israeli elections, noting that the normalization track between the two parties has not stopped despite the war, and that contacts are continuing at various levels.
The newspaper quoted a high-ranking Israeli official praising the position of the UAE, describing it as “Israel’s true Arab friend,” and noting that it continued its flights to Tel Aviv during the war and provided humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza in coordination with Israel.
The report explained that the UAE and Saudi Arabia adopt a unified position that considers the reconstruction of Gaza impossible as long as Hamas exists, while committing themselves to financing humanitarian projects and rebuilding infrastructure in the affected areas.
The newspaper quoted a senior US diplomat as saying that “it is not a matter of bet, but a natural result of the geopolitical reality and intertwined economic interests,” adding that what should have happened a long time ago “will happen soon,” as he put it.
It also clarified that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sees cooperation with Israel as part of his “Saudi Vision 2030,” which is based on broad economic, technological, and security partnerships, noting that this vision intersects with areas of Israeli excellence in innovation, cybersecurity, and financial technology.
The newspaper also pointed out that bin Salman seeks a defense agreement with the United States that includes indirect security cooperation with Israel, in the face of Iran and its arms in the region, including the Houthis in Yemen.
The newspaper revealed that Saudi Arabia provided assistance to Israel during the war with Iran last June, when Saudi helicopters intercepted Iranian drones heading towards Israeli territory.
The report stated that Iran and Hamas tried to obstruct the normalization track, noting that intelligence documents showed that one of the objectives of the October 7 attack was to thwart the rapprochement between Riyadh and Tel Aviv. The newspaper added that this goal was temporarily achieved under a Democratic US administration that faced difficulties in dealing with the war and its complexities.
The newspaper stated that the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House has brought the Saudi-Israeli normalization file back to the table, as the sponsor of the Abraham Accords. It quoted him as saying that he heard from senior Saudi officials an explicit desire to join the agreements, stressing that Saudi Arabia’s accession would encourage other Arab and Islamic countries to follow suit.
“Israel Hayom” added that direct contacts between Riyadh and Tel Aviv reached an advanced stage in September 2023, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations was broadcast on Saudi television for the first time, in an unprecedented sign of rapprochement.
The newspaper saw that the recent war disrupted the track but did not stop it, explaining that Saudi Arabia, despite its condemnation of the October 7 attack, adopted a more cautious political discourse towards Israel, but it is still interested in continuing the track within a new political framework that is in line with Trump’s plan.
The newspaper concluded its report by emphasizing that both countries – Saudi Arabia and the UAE – view a stable Middle East as a major economic and strategic opportunity, and that their cooperation with Israel in the fields of technology, security, energy, and education may draw the features of a new phase in the region during the coming year.
source: 961 today
