Saudi Arabia’s ruling princes are split over the country’s relationship with Israel, with a dispute breaking into the open over whether it should copy other Arab states’ “peace deals”.
The Trump administration hoped that the kingdom would follow the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in recognising Israel, but with a month to go before president-elect Joe Biden takes office its efforts have so far been dashed.
Mr Biden is expected to initiate a new regional strategy, including a rapprochement with Iran, a shared enemy of Israel and the Gulf Arab states. That has not stopped the argument within the Saudi regime as to whether Riyadh should pursue diplomatic relations with Israel irrespective of US policy.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is thought to be in favour. According to a string of reports he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, at the planned showpiece tourist resort of Neom in northern Saudi Arabia four weeks ago.
That was followed this month by unusually open criticism by the prince’s older cousin, Prince Turki bin Faisal, a retired head of intelligence who has often acted as an unofficial spokesman for the Saudi royal establishment.
Read the article by Richard Spencer in The Australian.