Though Israel and Saudi Arabia have had historic differences one a Jewish religious state and the other embracing the ultraconservative Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam, the two countries have found, more recently, that their interests intersect. Both see Iran, with its Shiite rulers, as their principal regional rival. Both are leery of the populist Islamic movements unleashed by the Arab Spring. Both sided with the Egyptian military in its coup against the elected Muslim Brotherhood government, and both are pleased to see Syrian President Bashar al-Assad facing a possible military assault from the United States. While the two countries could be accused of riding the whirlwind of chaos across the Middle East, inviting a possibility that the sectarian divisions and the political violence will redound negatively to their long-term interests, there can be little doubt that they are enjoying at least short-term gains.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 13:30:09 +0000
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