The Six-Day War in 1967 changed the Middle East a lot. Israel won quickly and took over places like the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and the Gaza Strip. This war affected Saudi Arabia too, as they saw themselves as protectors of Islam’s holy sites and the Palestinian cause.
Saudi Arabia cared a lot about the Palestinian issue and didn’t like Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. They even helped Palestinian refugees with money to show their strong stand against Israel. This war shook things up in the region and had a big impact on Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Israel.
Since then, Israel has had a hard time making friends in the region. Most Muslim nations either want to end Israel or don’t even want to recognize it as a country. But things changed in 2020 when the Abraham Accords happened.
Saudi’s hesitance
Some Arab countries, like the UAE, decided to make friends with Israel, and that was a big surprise for everyone. It demonstrated that things are changing in the Middle East, but there are still a lot of challenges ahead. Surprisingly, even Egypt, which was once Israel’s fierce enemy, accepted Netanyahu’s Israel with open arms.
Saudi Arabia remained the last major player to make friends with Israel after the Abraham Accords surprising changes in the Middle East. There were hints that Israel and Saudi Arabia were getting along better due to their worries about Iran. They even talked about working together on economic stuff.
People thought Saudi Arabia might join the Abraham Accords soon. But then, with Joe Biden becoming the leader of the USA, things got complicated. Trump wanted Israel to be close to the Middle East, but Biden had different ideas.
Saudi Arabia’s hope for a proper friendship with Israel faced a big problem. Recently, Joe Biden made it very clear that he’s against Saudi Arabia and Israel getting close again, and he’s not going to let it happen while he’s in charge. He’s not happy about their potential friendship.
Read More: Blinken Plays the Israeli Gamble to Derail the Saudi-Iran Nexus
Biden’s Embargo
Also, the trade relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel seems uncertain right now. Biden is putting his foot down and doesn’t want these two countries to become friends anytime soon.
And of course, why would Biden allow that, it doesn’t support the war lobby of the USA. Also, Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, had a complex and often strained relationship. While both leaders were staunch allies of their respective countries, their policy differences on key issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iran nuclear deal, created tensions.
Biden is also no big fan of Saudi’s crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman. Amidst all the fuss in Washington, Saudi Arabia seems to have decided to handle things on its own. This might leave the Biden administration feeling quite rattled, yet MBS carries the guts to do so.
Read More: Saudi Arabia and Israel unite to give Biden the biggest embarrassment of his life
They’ll do it themselves
In a surprising move, Saudi Arabia has taken two big steps to improve relations with Israel. Firstly, there’s a big change happening in Saudi Arabia’s education system. They’ve made massive changes to their curriculum, which is a huge deal.
The London-based Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) found that they removed almost all anti-Semitic content from their textbooks. That’s a significant step towards acceptance and understanding.
Secondly, Saudi Arabia has agreed to host a UNESCO conference, inviting all signatory countries, including Israel. This shows they are opening up to working together and being more inclusive.
These steps also show that Saudi Arabia is now officially allowing Israeli officials to visit their country. This is a significant change and could upset President Biden, as he didn’t want this to happen.
The Middle East is witnessing a big shift, and all eyes are on how this newfound openness will play out. It’s a developing situation with potential implications for the region’s dynamics.
So, while the bear hug between Saudi Arabia and Israel continues to tighten, Biden might just be left standing on the sidelines, watching his Middle Eastern script go haywire. Another massive jolt awaits Biden in the middle east. As if the bashing by Iran wasn’t enough, Saudi Arabia is all set to give a low blow to Biden.
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