(MEMRI) Z. Harel - Iran's military involvement in the region is perceived by Saudis as an existential threat to their country. Israel, on the other hand, is not perceived as a threat to Saudi Arabia, but as a potential ally in the struggle against Iran. Against this backdrop, Saudi intellectuals, journalists and writers have been increasingly expressing open support for Israel, even calling to normalize relations and make peace with it. Saudi liberal thinker Turki Al-Hamad placed the responsibility for the deaths of dozens of Palestinians in the confrontations on the Gaza border on Hamas and Iran. He wrote on Twitter on May 14, 2018: "The whole thing was an Iranian maneuver carried out by Hamas at the expense of the children of Gaza, and this is unacceptable." Saudi businessman Khalid Al-Ashaerah tweeted on the same day: "[Examining] Zionist history, we find no bombing of our mosques, no targeting of the sacred compounds [in Mecca and Medina], and no incitement against us....They haven't attacked us or supported our enemies."
2018-06-08 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive