WSJ: Gulf States Led by Saudi Arabia Changing Attitude Towards Israel

An analysis published this weekend by the Wall Street Journal contends – as has Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the past year – that Gulf States led by Saudi Arabia are slowly but definitely beginning to change their attitudes toward Israel.

As they generally do when faced with a dilemma, the Saudi leadership has found a way to smooth over the difficulties posed by the seeming discrepancy of drawing closer to Israel after decades of outright anti-Semitism and hate.

Trofimov quotes Mohammad bin Abdul Karim al-Issa, former Saudi Justice Minister and secretary-general of the global Saudi-based Muslim World League, who he said used Islamic history to justify the move towards coexistence.

“The neighbor of the Prophet (Muhammad) was a Jew, and when that Jew was ill, the Prophet visited him and gave him kind words,” al-Issa said. “The hard-liners don’t wish to know that.”

Moreover, deputy Saudi intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Ahmed Asiri pointed out in February that both Israel and Riyadh share concerns over Tehran. “We have the same enemy, the same threat,” WSJ quoted. He also noted the U.S. is an ally of both Israel and Saudi Arabia as well.

Perhaps one of the most important changes, however, is the tiniest: Political analyst and Saudi businessman Ahmad al-Ibrahim told WSJ that although sympathy for the cause of the Palestinian Authority still runs deep, it is not endless. “Saudi Arabia has always wanted to support the Palestinian cause,” he said. “It negotiated on their behalf, it spent a lot of money on their behalf. But unfortunately the Palestinian leaders do not want to get along and are not working for their own people. You cannot just say ‘no’ to everything.”

The simple fact is, every Israeli prime minister since 1973 has presented some version of a final status deal to the Palestinian Authority, including several that included handing over most of Judea and Samaria. Each and every proposal was rejected by every leader of the Palestinian Authority, from Yasser Arafat to Mahmoud Abbas.

And so it has continued to this day, with the PA government instead choosing to make incitement against Jews and Israel an active part of the social programming of its population from the cradle to the grave. The brainwashing of all citizens has taken priority at all levels to ensure the concept becomes part of the population’s cultural heritage as fast and as thoroughly as possible.

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/isr...-changing-attitude-towards-israel/2017/05/06/

WOW...all I can say is WOW. It goes against everything that our resident Israel haters daily spewing on this board! So, the attitude toward Israel is changing toward Israel, eh? Mozel Tov! About time.

And let's not overlook the statement by the Saudis of all the people that fault for this prolonged, miserable subsistence of Palestinian people lies... with Palestinians themselves. And not Israel.

And ''tis is coming from Arabs, no less. How about that?

 

The Wahhabis and the Zionists have been friends for a while now, but more recently they are bringing their friendship out in the open for everyone to see. Supposedly, this friendship is built on the maxim: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, the enemy here being supposedly Iran. In reality, the friendship is built on the fact that both eat from the same trough and are part of the alliance with the US military industrial complex to further upend the region and sow more chaos and mayhem to justify the hundreds of billions which are spent on this industry. Of course, this is a slightly more lasting alliance for the Zionists, who have built up and embedded their influence in America in ways that the Wahhabis can never hope to do and whose adherents have played a key role in forming its agendas. But ultimately the agendas behind this alliance aren't even supported by most American Jews, many of whom will be and are increasingly painted as the enemy as well. It is all about greed, power, imperialistic hubris, and bringing more war and destruction to a region that has known plenty of both. In the process, if the former proponents of this agenda at least claimed to favor spreading democracy in the region (which naturally meant that the most democratically capable states in the region, namely Iran and Turkey, experienced a surge in their influence), the new proponents don't feel the need to any such pretensions.

 

Oh baloney.. The Saudis have wanted Israeli Palestinian reconciliation for well over 20 years.

 

What does that have to do with anything I said??

 

The simple fact is, every Israeli prime minister since 1973 has presented some version of a final status deal to the Palestinian Authority, including several that included handing over most of Judea and Samaria. Each and every proposal was rejected by every leader of the Palestinian Authority, from Yasser Arafat to Mahmoud Abbas.

 

Exactly nothing, and that is the point.

 

Leaving aside the nonsense, the alliance that has emerged between the Wahhabis and the Zionists has nothing to do with what you allude to. It is explicitly formed around the idea of working against Iran. In reality, it is part of the Project for a New American Century, updated to no longer speak about spreading democracy and merely American/Israeli hegemony in the region. The Wahhabis are a tool in this process, who bring their unearned wealth to finance some of its projects.

 

Oh, be quiet already, you persian shill.

Whose regime's entire foreign policy and existence are built upon "exporting revolution," i.e, terrorism, across the mideast?

Who is running multiple terrorist proxy armies like hezbollah, hamas, the Sadr army, etc in other countries, and is de-stabilizing others like Bahrain and helped overthrow a democratically-elected government in Yemen? How about aiding the mass murderer assad in syria dropping sarin and chlorine bombs on women and children?

Your lies and nonsense about what american jews support and do not support are hilarious. You think after sending suicide bombers in to murder american jews in Israel that you have ANYTHING any of them would possibly EVER want to hear?

As for "democratically capable" countries like iran and Turkey - what the FF do you persians know about democracy? khameini the dog is so, so democratic when he orders female cartoonists like Atena and journalists like Kazemi to be arrested and tortured - murdered, in Kazemi's case - in Evin prison. There is NOTHING democratic about iran in 2017.

I may dislike russia and little putin, but I UTTERLY DESPISE iran, and that cancerous, fake regime of filth is the absolute scum of the earth. It will answer for its horrific crimes, and that right soon.

 

Every sane human in the mideast, including those in Turkey, seek the destruction of the disgusting filth iranian regime. I know that for a fact, and there is no propaganda or crap you can spew that will obscure it.

 

They need Israel to save their bacon for them. When that comes about they will immediately stab them in the back and go back to their usual terrorist financing and support. Israel should work to bring the Syrian civil war to Saudi Arabia, and spread the infighting among these savages, and keep both sides butchering each other for the next two decades.

 

Saudi Arabia doesn't finance terrorism. What's wrong with you that you want MORE conflict?

 

Yes, funnily enough I was reading that just a week or so ago but not sure Israel will even be bothered by that. In addition Israel is growing in extremist religion. Possibly they will find they are two of a kind.

 

There were good reasons for Arafat to not find that acceptable.
1. The agreement at Oslo was that the Palestinians would give up 78% of their historic homeland but keep the other 22%.
2. Barak proposed that 69 Israeli settlements with 85% of settlers remain in tact removing another 10% of the 22% of their historic homeland they were left with.
3. These blocks criss crossed the remainder of the Palestinian 19.5% of their historic homeland making a contiguous state incredibly difficult.
4. Israel was demanding 'indefinite temporary control' over part of what was supposed to be an Independent State. The areas which Israel was demanding control of contained some of the most religious zealous settlers and it is unlikely that Israel would ever let go of that control. That was another 10% of the 22% of their historic homeland leaving them now with17.6% of their historic homeland.
5.The remaining areas would be broken up to incorporate the settlers needs for their own roads, checkpoints and so on. and so on. They were further expected to give up control of their land most necessary for Trade and tourism and for the influx of refugees.

This was no generous offer but rather a fig leaf which would allow Israel to later further her intentions on land settlement.

In addition in December no maps of Gaza were shown so they could guess as to Israelis intentions there. At Taba however a much improved map was offered. The Palestinians considered it the basis for consideration even though the Palestinian zones looked even more strange and less Justifiable than ever. In the Taba maps the most noticeable change was the Israeli temporary security zones. However by this time Barak was finished politically. His defeat was widely predicted. He did not dare present these maps to the Israeli public.

Saying this was a generous offer is untrue propaganda - in the end not even an offer!
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/downloads/baraks_offers/

As far as Abbas is concerned Wiki leaks revealed conclusively that he offered the kitchen sink all to no avail. The Palestinians having agreed to give over up 78% of their historic homeland in order to be able to have their own state on only 22% in Oslo were had.

 

Iranian monitor has already dealt with the motivation. I have dealt with the propaganda on 'generous offers'. This part though does have some validity in it. Hamas cannot get anywhere on peace as Israel refuses to be involved in talks with them preferring instead to 'mow the lawn' with Palestinian bodies every few years. In addition there is strong Palestinian dissatisfaction with the PA.

There is though a very simply way to sort this out. Release Marwan Barghouti the Palestinian Mandella. If the Sauds cared anything for the Palestinians that would be what they were demanding.

 

A near perfect display of the propagandised American mind.

 

250,000 Palestinians live and work in KSA.

 

So? They cannot write poetry though can they?
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...estinian-poets-death-sentence-in-saudi-arabia

I know there was massive world wide protest about this and he was spared - instead just 8 years in jail and 800 lashes

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/03/middleeast/saudi-arabia-ashraf-fayadh-sentence/index.html

This presumably is about the deal Netanyahu discussed with Trump. I'm trying to remember what that was - something like what Bennett wants and for the Gulf States to basically be the people to speak for the Palestinians including taking them to their countries to live. Not at all what the Palestinians want but certainly good reason for the Sauds to have a go at the PA - in order to justify themselves, Egypt, Jordan and so on taking over.

The Palestinians want their own state not to be taken in to other Arab States as refugees and rather than complaining that their admin is not good enough any who cared about them would advocate the release of Marwan Barghouti. The Saudi Regime are pursuing their regional ambitions and if that means **** the Palestinians so be it - though it also could be as I read a week or so ago that they may retract on this when they have got what they want.

 

I am well aware that the Palestinians are very attached to their ancient home and don't want to be Saudis or Egyptian etc.

 

Indeed. That's what OP is saying, Margot.

 

Again, the Saudis are saying that Palestinians have refused each and every Israeli proposal. Do not see you talking about it.

 

Saudi Arabia has called out HAMAS and Hezbollah for years asking them to cool it because they view them as an impediment to peace.

 

They were never offered a square deal.. make no mistake about that. Israel's goal is expansion not peace.

 

That's funny, the BDS was formed by Barghouti family member, I wonder why they pressed the "release Marwan" button to all their activists just now, his diet perhaps ?

 

While a free mind such as yourself knows for a fact that there are no Gay ppl in Iran or Chechnya, those few that are - come from the West to screw their minds

 

The Saudis are afraid of Iran.
They look right and left and find no one to help them.
They looked for the US, but Obama made them realize he's going to sell them for a necklace of beads to the Iranians.
So their only help they can get is from the other country who is afraid of Iranian dominance - Israel.