Ties with Tel Aviv (An open secret)

(Sami Halepoto, )

After Dubai and Bahrain , World seeks to know who will be next in a row to normalise diplomatic ties with Israel. The agreement of UAE and Bahrain with Israel is justa door to attract other Arab Muslim States to make diplomatic relationship with Israel. In November 2017, Israel's energy minister Yuval Steinitz claimed to have clandestine contacts with KSA to strengthen diplomatic ties with each other. When Trump announced his disruptive policy decision to shift American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem , Turkey immediately called an extraordinary session of the OIC Islamic Summit in Istanbul to send a befitting response to the United States. More than fifty head of the Muslim states attended thesummitwhile King Salman , nor his assertive crown prince , attended instead Saudi Arabia was represented by its minister of Islamic Affairs. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said in his speech in OIC that the only reason Trump had dared to recognise Jerusalem aa the capital of Israel is because some in the Arab region is seeking to establish ties to Israel ( A thinly disguised reference to Riyadh) . Further on the diplomatic side , The Beirut based Al- Akhbar (The News) published a leaked letter from Jubeir to Bin Salman in which he set out the conditions that would have to be satisfied for normal diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv included Military equivalence “between two states” because Israel is the only country with nuclear weapons in the Middle East.

Leaked letter further alleged that Saudi Arabia first would urge his allies in Middle East to Recognise Israel and strengthen diplomatic relations with each other because If Saudi Arabia's allies come to terms with Israel first , It would give the Kingdom cover to follow and finally a pact between Riyadh and Tel Aviv is getting closer , The Prince Mohammad Salman is likely to give Trump what would be his biggest foreign policy achievement before the United States elections. The Kingdom will likely to continue its of urging regional allies across the line and effectively Sudan or Oman are firm favourites to next in a row. The question arises why KSA is doing this instead of supporting oppressed Palestinians? Saudi’s Biggest threat to the region is to think that “ Iran would take control to the whole of Middle East therefore making ties and sharing Intelligence with Israel would help Riyadh to remain on the Top of the list.

Sami Halepoto
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