TheLittleTwentieth – Renowned Papers Edition, AI Infused

Local sources from Israel: גלובס, הארץ.
UK coverage: Press TV.

The war between Israel and Hamas has revealed the interests of countries around the world, and the impact of the conflict on regional stability has been felt in Saudi Arabia. As the 35th day of the war in Gaza continues, resistance groups in Gaza and Lebanon, including Hamas and Hezbollah, have continued their retaliatory operations against Israeli forces. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, targeted Israeli soldiers and military vehicles using drones, artillery strikes, and anti-tank weapons, while Hezbollah staged drone attacks on Israeli military positions near the Lebanese border. Israeli media reported that four soldiers were severely wounded in the attacks.

The war has already dried up some of Saudi Arabia’s political initiatives, and could also undermine economic plans. It would not be an exaggeration to estimate that the war was a kind of mega-terror attack from the Saudi perspective. Despite the few statements condemning Israel’s response in Gaza, the Saudi royal family is trying to convey “business as usual” by hosting the annual investment conference called “Davos in the Desert” and Fashion Week, as well as the “Riyadh Season” – a series of events that began on October 28, hosting athletes, actors, and musicians from around the world.

The war has also disrupted the normalization of Saudi Arabia with Israel through the United States, which was supposed to have significant security, political, and economic implications for the kingdom. As a result of the war, and apparently to counter the expected criticism from Arab and Muslim public opinion, Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of negotiations for normalization with Israel.

The need to maintain regional stability has led Saudi Arabia to intervene in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even though they are geographically distant. Already in 1981, the Saudi Crown Prince Fahd published a peace initiative, but it was rejected by Israel. The same happened in 2002 when Crown Prince Abdullah published a peace initiative, which was endorsed by the Arab League and accepted in March 2002 as the Arab Peace Initiative.

Traditionally, the Saudis supported Fatah but not the extremist organizations from the left or the religious fringe (Hamas or Islamic Jihad). Saudi Arabia vehemently opposed the extremist elements of Islam following the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in the United States (15 Saudi citizens were involved). The cruelty of Hamas, reminiscent of ISIS’s methods, is seen by Saudi eyes as contrary to Islamic values and the interest in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.

In the media, there are also other voices. Contrary to the anti-Israel stance of Qatar’s Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia’s rival Al-Arabiya has adopted a more moderate position. This is evidenced by the interview in which the channel attacked Khalid Mashal for Hamas’ harm to Israeli civilians. Particularly exceptional and bold is the article by Tareq Al-Homayed, the former editor of Asharq Al-Awsat, who is based in London, directly attacking Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and calling on him to show leadership and leave Gaza – as Arafat left Beirut in 1982 – in order to prevent further bloodshed. Within Saudi Arabia itself, many articles have been published harshly criticizing Hamas’ atrocities, which are contrary to Islamic values and have caused severe reputational damage to the Palestinians.

Even if not publicly acknowledged, the Saudi government is interested in weakening – if not eliminating – Hamas. The fact that such a small organization has managed to humiliate the mighty kingdom and force it to suspend normalization will certainly not be forgotten. On October 31, the White House spokesperson for national security conveyed that Saudi Arabia still wants to sign a normalization agreement with Israel after the war. It seems that the Saudis are determined to implement their plan. In doing so, they will turn the mega-terror attack into a mega-deal and give Iran and its proxies – especially Hamas – a heavy blow.

As the IDF’s attacks in the Gaza Strip intensify, Israel is facing growing international diplomatic pressure that seeks to contain the suffering caused by the current war. It is currently defined as an effort to find a humanitarian solution for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian residents of Gaza, but its success also aims to strengthen the legitimacy of the war. Without this, Israel will struggle to implement its military plans.

The war in Gaza is vital, but it endangers peace agreements. The conflict has highlighted the interests of countries around the world, and the impact of the conflict on regional stability has been felt in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is trying to convey “business as usual” while facing a “mega-terror attack” from the perspective of the Saudi royal family. The war has disrupted the normalization of Saudi Arabia with Israel through the United States, and the need to maintain regional stability has led Saudi Arabia to intervene in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The cruelty of Hamas is seen by Saudi eyes as contrary to Islamic values and the interest in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. In the media, there are also other voices, with Al-Arabiya adopting a more moderate position and Tareq Al-Homayed directly attacking Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and calling on him to show leadership and leave Gaza. Even if not publicly acknowledged, the Saudi government is interested in weakening – if not eliminating – Hamas.

The war in Gaza is vital, and the international diplomatic pressure seeks to contain the suffering caused by the conflict. However, it is also endangering peace agreements and highlighting the interests of countries around the world. The impact of the conflict on regional stability has been felt in Saudi Arabia, and the kingdom is determined to implement its plan of normalization with Israel despite the “mega-terror attack” from the perspective of the Saudi royal family.