【By Chen Sijia, Observers Network】U.S. President Trump has been trying to push for the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, after the latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iran-Israel conflict, Saudi Arabia's attitude has gradually changed. According to a report by the Financial Times on July 4, Saudi Arabia is angry and concerned about Israel's actions, and a source revealed that the Gulf states will seek reconciliation with Iran.

During Trump's first term, the U.S.-led Abraham Accords led the UAE and Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel. But Trump also wanted to persuade Saudi Arabia, the major power in the Middle East, to push the country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. In May this year, Trump, who returned to the White House, visited Saudi Arabia again to urge it to join the Abraham Accords.

Trump previously told Fox News that he believes, after Israel and Iran achieve a ceasefire, more Arab countries will join the Abraham Accords, "I think we will have more countries join, because Iran is the main issue."

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also claimed last week that he seeks to advance the normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia, "How to deal with Saudi Arabia, how to deal with other countries, leave it to me. Believe me, I not only thought about it, but am also studying it." The Financial Times pointed out that the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries seems to have been seen by the U.S. and Israel as a new agenda to reshape the Middle East.

The report said that Saudi Arabia had considered establishing diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense treaty. But after the new round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out in October 2023, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia became angry at Israel, and Saudi Arabia's view on reconciling with Israel changed, shifting toward accelerating the reconciliation process with its historical rival Iran.

Analysts believe that Israel's large-scale air strikes on Iran in June further raised Saudi Arabia's alertness, viewing Israel as a "more militaristic and destabilizing force."

On May 14, Crown Prince Mohammed of Saudi Arabia and U.S. President Trump attended the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit. Visual China

A person familiar with the Saudi government's views revealed: "The Gulf states will maintain reconciliation with Iran. Maintaining reconciliation with the largest neighbor across the Gulf is a wise policy. This reduces the possibility of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, but can also make Saudi Arabia more determined in its stance on the Palestinian issue."

The Financial Times reported that the new round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was an important turning point. After Israel's military operations began, Mohammed repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. He emphasized that a ceasefire and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state are preconditions for the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations.

The report also mentioned that Mohammed's economic transformation plan focuses on Saudi Arabia's youth, but after the new round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the dissatisfaction of Saudi youth with Israel has increased, and they do not support establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.

For many years, the Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and the Shia-dominated Iran have had extremely tense relations, with Saudi Arabia viewing Iran allies such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen as major sources of instability. But after the attack on Saudi oil fields in 2019, the U.S. response was "not cold or hot," prompting Saudi Arabia to change its strategy, ultimately reaching a reconciliation with Iran in March 2023 under China's mediation.

Concerned about Saudi Arabia being drawn into a larger regional conflict, Crown Prince Mohammed of Saudi Arabia maintains regular calls with Iranian President Pezeshkian, and other senior officials also have regular contact. On June 29 local time, Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman called Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdul-Rahim Musawi to discuss maintaining security and stability.

Analysts believe that from Saudi Arabia's perspective, Israel's attacks have weakened Iran and its allies, the Lebanese Hezbollah, reducing the threat Iran poses to Saudi Arabia. Gregory Gause, a visiting scholar at the Middle East Institute, a U.S. think tank, pointed out: "Iran in 2022 is different from Iran in 2025. Now, Israel is seen as an unstable factor in the region's politics."

Hasan Alhasan, a senior researcher on Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain, said: "The reputational loss for Saudi Arabia in normalizing relations with Israel would be much higher. This not only affects its domestic reputation, but also its leadership position in the Middle East and the Islamic world."

Some analysts speculate that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states will use investment to appease Trump. During Trump's May visit to the Middle East, Gulf states pledged to invest billions of dollars, hoping to strengthen ties and gain American artificial intelligence technology and weapons.

Alhasan noted: "Saudi Arabia and Trump are different; they don't face the time pressure to reach an agreement. Although they feel anxious... I think they are in a sufficiently favorable geopolitical position to avoid yielding and doing things they don't want to do."

This article is an exclusive contribution by Observers Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523413604058645055/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author. Please express your opinion below using the [Up/Down] buttons.