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>If it’s a country which is not hostile to Israel that we can help, we’ll do it To say Saudi Arabia isn't hostile towards Israel takes one heck of a lot of men

• TeMPOraL 10y ago
  Money does that to your head. It quickly clarifies your actual beliefs.
  • kafkaesq 10y ago
    Yup. That, and access to military technology and intelligence on issues of mutual concern.
• travmatt 10y ago
  To boil down Saudi Arabia to Wahhabism is a gross simplification, especially considering strategic interests they both share wrt Iran.
  • tw04 10y ago
    I didn't boil it down to that. I simply pointed out it's RIDICULOUS to say the country isn't hostile towards Israel. "I'm not going to kill you until I kill that other guy who you also happen to not like" doesn't make you my friend.
    • jpatokal 10y ago
      No, it really isn't. More specifically, just because the Saudi regime maintains a facade of visceral hatred for domestic consumption does not mean that they are actually hostile towards (as in, would ever consider using military force against) Israel, because both have shared enemies that are potential existential threats: Iran, Islamic State, etc. Of course, this doesn't mean they're BFFs either, but (despite the best efforts of IS...) 200m Shias aren't about to disappear anytime soon. Complicated? Welcome to the Middle East. Also, obligatory: http://www.slate.com/features/2014/07/middle_east/graphics/graphical_version.png http://www.slate.com/features/2014/07/middle_east/graphics/g...
      • tw04 10y ago
        The Saudi regime is the one that encourage Wahhabism and was the primary source of funding for Al Qaeda through the 90s, and there's been nothing to show that's changed since. As for that chart, it appears to literally have been made up by the author. Without a citation I'd call BS after the most basic of spot checks. Perhaps stick to articles that actually cite their sources: https://flaglerlive.com/89023/saudi-arabia-wahhabism-ps/ https://flaglerlive.com/89023/saudi-arabia-wahhabism-ps/
        • travmatt 10y ago
          >The Saudi regime is the one that encourage Wahhabism and was the primary source of funding for Al Qaeda through the 90s, and there's been nothing to show that's changed since. This is one of those things that sounds smart until you actually understand it, because it's completely ignorant of actual facts regarding SA internal political dynamics. The Saudi government is perpetually held hostage by religious hardliners who have previously tried to overthrow the government, claiming its too tainted by western influence. The current monarchy has made their Faustian bargain, allowing these hardliners control over religious education in exchange for not advocating a coup. There are uneducated critics who are completely ignorant of the regimes attempts to break the power of the religious fundamentalists, and somehow believe weakening the monarchy will somehow pacificy the country, instead of handing over more power to extremists. Those people should be ignored because their ideas are terrible.
          • tw04 10y ago
            Yes, the combined "completely ignorant" intelligence services of every western nation in the world should turn to ycombinator, where you'll enlighten us all to how it really works. Of course, I once again see a complete lack of citation, so I guess I'll just take your word for it.
            • travmatt 10y ago
              >Yes, the combined "completely ignorant" intelligence services of every western nation in the world should turn to ycombinator, where you'll enlighten us all to how it really works. You do realize that just because you remain ignorant of facts, that not everyone else shares in that with you? Nothing I said is actually controversial or even new, and funnily enough, policymakers and intelligence services understand this dynamic as well - I'm not sure why you're attempting to generalize your ignorance to a larger audience. But since you've asked for sources, here are some quick ones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mosque_seizure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mosque_seizure http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/world/middleeast/26saudi.html http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/world/middleeast/26saudi.h... In the future, it'll probably be more helpful for you to think of Saudi Arabia as not another sunni gulf state, but as the caretaker of the most sacred site in Islam, Mecca. Once you understand the centrality of Mecca's importance, you can see why the Ulema have such power in the country and why Western attempts to break their power directly will most likely be framed as an existential threat to Islam and beg severe blowback. Again, there are uneducated critics who are completely ignorant of the regimes attempts to break the power of the religious fundamentalists, and somehow believe weakening the monarchy will somehow pacificy the country, instead of handing over more power to extremists. Those people should be ignored because their ideas are terrible.
• elastic_church 10y ago
  Money talks, geopolitical bullshit walks! Its an age old adage really
  • protomyth 10y ago
    I would go with the "enemy of my enemy is my ally", or Israel isn't going to invade Saudi Arabia, but some other neighbor might.
• zionism_answers 10y ago
  The Saudi-Israeli romance has been developing for many years. Bear in mind that it is the Saudi dictatorship that has established these ties. The Saudi people are fiercely opposed to the Jewish occupation of Palestine. Anything the Saudi government says that is critical of Israel should be taken as purely for Saudi domestic consumption. If you want proof that this romance has been ongoing for years, you need only look at the public statements of the Saudi dictatorship during the Zionist attack on Lebanon in 2006. The Saudi regime supported Israel, while of course the Saudi people supported Hezbollah.
  • Cyph0n 10y ago
    That's a more nuanced relationship than you make it out to be. Hezbollah is a Shia group and funded by Iran. KSA has been adamantly anti-Iran, especially after the fall of Saddam. So in your example, it's more "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Great username by the way ;)
    • zionism_answers 10y ago
      That type of sectarian analysis is oversimplified at best, inaccurate at worst. Hostility from KSA vs. Iran is largely at the level of the dictatorship and the extreme right wing (eg, Al Qaeda). KSA has a large Shia population.
      • Cyph0n 10y ago
        I didn't say Shia, I said Iran. There's a huge difference there. Many Shia actually don't at all agree with Iran's policies.
        • quirkafleeg 10y ago
          I don't want to get into a political argument, since it's pointless and the post was flagged anyway, but you did say Shia: "Hezbollah is a Shia group"
          • 10y ago
• DrHurtyio 10y ago
  Operating out of the occupied Golan Heights, Israel’s IDF has provided weapons, ammunition, logistical support to Al Qaeda rebels operating in Southern Syria. Wake up
  • dogma1138 10y ago
    The Golan Heights have been annexed by Israel, so you might call them conquered but not occupied. The West Bank is occupied since Israel has never officially annexed it (with the exception of East Jerusalem and parts of the Jordan Valley), and Jordan who previously annexed it waved it's claim to that territory.
    • Udik 10y ago
      The official status of the Golan Heights is that of Syrian territory occupied by Israel.
• handedness 10y ago
  Treating Saudi Arabia as if it's a country is perhaps the most common mistake analysts make when examining the House of Saud.
  • gozur88 10y ago
    So like any other country, Saudi Arabia has factions with their own interests?
• at-fates-hands 10y ago
  Pretty sure last time I checked it was impossible to get into Saudi Arabia if you were Israeli, right? Yeap - confirmed. Even if you have a passport that shows you've traveled there will get your admission refused to Saudi Arabia: Arab League boycott of Israel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_League_boycott_of_Israel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_League_boycott_of_Israel
• nl 10y ago
  Understanding any politics in the Middle East requires one heck of a lot of mental gymnastics. That doesn't make it invalid. The relationship Wahhabism has with the rulers on Saudi Arabia is pretty complex. Their interests aren't always aligned to say the least. It's pretty easy to make the case that Wahhabism is the biggest threat to the Saudi regime. Put it like this: Wahhabism isn't exactly pro-US, and yet Saudi Arabia remains a strong ally of the US - one might almost say a client state. It's in the interest of the Saudi regime to keep that relationship, and good relationships with Israel are also in their interest.
• tps5 10y ago
  What is Saudi Arabia? If we're talking about the rulers (read: the Saud family), they're certainly friendly with Israel. Both nations share a common enemy: Islamists who deny the right of Israel and Saudi Arabia to exist. Note: a necessary step in the establishment of a Caliphate is the destruction of the modern Arab states, all of which Islamists generally regard as illegitimate. The Saudi people are obviously very anti-Israel, which ties the hands of the rulers to some degree. Or at least prevents the rulers from openly being friendly toward Israel.