By Asaiah Logan —
Hating Israel is the most popular sport in the Middle East, where it’s even more popular than it is on woke colleges in America.
But that’s about to change. Saudi Arabia, a centerpiece of Islam, is being forced into the arms of Israelis by the belligerent Houthis on its southern border.
The home of Mecca has taken embarrassing hits from the Yemeni rebel group in recent days despite spending $83B annually on its military and despite having U.S. Patriot missiles and other defense systems from around the world.
The Houthis hit Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport with a missile and drone attack on Sept. 19. They blew Aramco facilities at Yanbu on the same day and again five days later. They hit a military command center, weapons depot, missile positions and military camps at Jazan with dozens of drones and missiles on Sept. 24.
Why can’t Saudi Arabia defend itself?
“Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states specifically hobble their militaries. They make their militaries ineffective,” says Murtaza Hussain, a journalist and policy analyst. “They don’t want them to be too effective” so that no military commander gains national popularity and stages a coup.
When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the United States to retaliate against the Houthis, President Donald Trump declined. Apparently, Trump’s emissaries had struck a separate deal with the Houthis to leave U.S. ships alone.
This appears to be driving Mohammed bin Salman into the arms of the Israelis. Who else can help Saudi Arabia better defend itself if the United States comes off cold?
The irony should not be lost.
Hating Israel is a national pastime for Muslims in the Middle East.
After Israel successfully defended itself in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Saudi Arabia retaliated by raising oil prices via OPEC.
When Egypt signed peace with Israel, President Anwar Sadat, was assassinated in 1981 by the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the latest war as images of Gazan suffering emerged, Saudi citizens stampeded towards anti-Israel fervor. In 2022, Saudis opposed to recognizing Israel skyrocketed to 68% from 38% formerly, a 30-percentage-point increase.
MBS would be loathe to make overtures towards Israel without the support of his people.
However, events have conspired. The Iranian-backed Shi’ite Houthis are agitating again and successfully striking their hated Sunni brothers to the north.
Where else can MBS turn?
Israel has the technology and the know-how to fortify Saudi Arabia. The tiny Jewish nation is also smart enough to recognize an opportunity for them to ally up with Saudi Arabia and thus strengthen its own stability in the region.
