The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken a new step towards public normalization with the Israeli occupation state amidst the ongoing genocide against Gaza that has lasted for 11 months.
According to the Palestinian Press Network, Saudi Ambassador to Washington, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, participated in the first MEAD conference held in the American capital, attended by numerous high-ranking Israeli officials and former U.S. ambassadors to the occupation state.
The Saudi ambassador participated in the discussion panel alongside the ambassadors of Morocco and Bahrain in Washington, even listening to a speech by former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
An Israeli senior official remarked on the Saudi ambassador’s participation, noting that the normalization meeting was a “window of opportunity to reach a normalization agreement after the U.S. elections” scheduled for the end of this year.
An Israeli source recently estimated that after the U.S. elections, in approximately two months, there could be a renewed opportunity for a trilateral agreement involving the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the occupation state.
Israeli journalist Amit Segal stated via his Telegram channel that the Saudi ambassador made important remarks that cannot be disclosed.
However, opposing Saudi sources revealed that the Saudi ambassador publicly expressed support for the occupation state’s efforts to eliminate Palestinian resistance at the Washington conference.
Saudi Arabia Aligns with the Occupation
It was not surprising when an Israeli minister announced at the end of last month about secret talks with Saudi Arabia aimed at selling Israeli gas to the kingdom.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told the Hebrew newspaper “Israel Hayom” that the proposal was made by “NewMed Energy,” owned by businessman Yitzhak Tshuva, which is a partner in the Leviathan gas field.
According to the Israeli minister, the mentioned company clarified that Saudi Arabia showed significant interest in purchasing Israeli gas, partly because the gas represents a source of “clean and environmentally friendly energy.”
This coincides with the Saudi regime using its media tools, particularly the “Al Arabiya” channel and online bots, to demonize Gaza and its resistance, launching systematic and continuous attacks.
Saudi opponents confirm that despite the statements published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision-maker in the kingdom is committed to supporting the continuation of the Israeli genocide until achieving its alleged and declared goals, which include the eradication of resistance.
At the same time, Saudi authorities have arrested anyone who speaks about the need for a genuine stance beyond merely issuing statements about the daily crimes committed by the Israeli occupier.
It is noteworthy that the Saudi Crown Prince, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, previously stated to the Wall Street Journal through its correspondent in Riyadh that Saudi Arabia would not be a partner in Gaza’s reconstruction if the “Hamas” movement and resistance remain on the ground.
Saudi Arabia Turns Its Back on Palestinians
Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam and the land of the two holy mosques, has brazenly turned its back on over 2.3 million Muslims in Gaza amidst the Israeli genocide they have endured for more than ten months.
The kingdom has shown severe betrayal towards Gaza by undermining its resistance and failing to take serious action in pressing internationally to allow aid for its people amid ongoing starvation.
Saudi actions have suggested a clear inclination towards the occupation state, from secret support for the elimination of resistance to the disgraceful land route to break the maritime blockade imposed by the Houthi group on Israel.
While it was expected that Saudi Arabia would take a firmer stance to support Palestine as in past wars with Israel decades ago or at least hint at using oil as leverage to pressure Israel’s allies like King Faisal did in 1973, the Saudi regime has done the opposite, using the kingdom’s oil to serve the occupation.
Foreign news agencies have repeatedly reported that Saudi Arabia provided oil to Israel secretly since October 7.
The British newspaper The Guardian and the Oil Change International organization confirmed that Saudi oil reaches Israel regularly via the “Sumed” pipeline to Egypt, with shipments totaling 151 to date.
Oil Change International also confirmed that Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE and Egypt, are the only Arab countries supplying oil to Israel during the Gaza bombing, with the oil used as fuel for aircraft and tanks directly involved in bombing the sector for months.
According to observers, this implies that the rulers of these countries are effectively complicit in war crimes.
Until October 7, Israel’s external imports of crude oil amounted to 200,000 barrels per day.
According to Bloomberg, 60% of this oil comes from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, while Middle Eastern producers account for a very small portion of Israel’s oil supplies.
Saudi officials have publicly denied since the beginning of the Gaza war any possibility of using the kingdom’s oil as a leverage to stop the fire in Gaza, while Saudi authorities secretly use oil as a tool to serve Israel.
This means Saudi Arabia has utilized much of its resources in favor of the occupation and supports its economy through three main avenues:
Land: Allowing the transport of Israeli goods via the disgraceful land route.
Air: Permitting Israeli aircraft to fly over the kingdom’s airspace.
Sea: Transporting goods and delivering crude oil shipments to be used as fuel for bombing Gaza.
A Lifeline
While Gaza continues to suffer from a major famine amidst the ongoing genocide, the Saudi regime has colluded in providing a new lifeline for Israel.
For the first time, under a cloak of secrecy, a significant and game-changing development is taking place: the quiet and covert opening of a new commercial route between the UAE and Israel via Saudi Arabia, circumventing the maritime blockade imposed by the Houthis.
As the Gaza blockade persists and aid is prevented from reaching its people, several Arab countries’ collusion continues to ease Israel’s constraints in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.
The rulers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan have provided an alternative for the Israeli occupation, enabling it to transport its goods and, more importantly, further penetrate their countries.
In December last year, Hebrew media revealed an agreement between the UAE and Israel to establish a land bridge between the two countries in response to increased attacks on Israeli commercial interests in the Red Sea!
The agreement involved other parties, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan, which will serve as a bridge for transporting goods via two routes: one starting from Dubai port through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and arriving at Haifa port, and the other involving Bahraini territories.
The new transport route has reduced risks, shortened time, and saved over 80% of the cost of transporting goods via the maritime route, according to Israeli media.
Conspiracy Against Palestinian Resistance
In mid-June, American media revealed Saudi Arabia’s secret participation in a high-level security meeting with Israel amidst the war on Gaza and the massacres committed against Palestinians.
The American website Axios reported that the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army met days ago in Bahrain with counterparts from several Arab armies, including Saudi Arabia, to discuss regional security cooperation.
The meeting was attended by General Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, alongside U.S. General Michele “Eric” Corella.
The meeting on Monday in Manama was attended by senior generals from Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt.
The site considered the meeting as an indication that military dialogue and cooperation between Israel and Arab countries continue under U.S. Central Command, despite the severe public criticism and condemnation of Israeli military operations in Gaza.
U.S. officials say that cooperation with Israel and Arab countries in the region has allowed them to gather intelligence and obtain early warnings of any external attack on Israel.
Officials add that cooperation also includes Jordan’s and Saudi Arabia’s active participation in intercepting missiles and drones that passed through their airspace after being launched from Iran, Iraq, and Yemen towards Israel.
Israeli media had previously confirmed that Saudi Arabia decided to publicly normalize relations with Israel, with only the timing remaining to be determined.
According to a foreign diplomat familiar with the details, Saudi Arabia has decided to normalize relations with Israel but is debating whether to implement this step in the coming weeks or after the U.S. presidential elections in November.
