Israel and the attack on Iran, the ‘strange’ condemnation of Saudi Arabia and what’s behind it

Saudi Arabia condemned the attack launched last night against Iran, but in the note shared by the Foreign Ministry in Riyadh, Israel is never mentioned. Not even as ‘the enemy’, a term used by those countries that do not recognize him. The Saudi condemnation in fact focuses on the fact that the ”national sovereignty” of a country, Iran in this case, has been violated, while silent on the name of whoever committed this violation. A few lines compared to what is the most substantial message of the note shared by Riyadh, namely an appeal to avoid further escalation in the region and an expansion of the conflict that could threaten the security and stability of other countries and other peoples.

Saudi Arabia therefore issues an invitation to exercise ”moderation” and addresses it to ”all parties involved”. Here too, the parties are not named. Which could be read as a precise plan by Riyadh not to openly take sides against Israel at a time when the possibility of a normalization of relations with the Jewish state which was close to being realized before the Hamas attack would remain open, but under the table. of 7 October and which, at the moment, appears frozen.

In an interview with Adnkronos, Yuval Bitton, head of Israel’s prison intelligence until 2022, had in fact explained that the military operation that the IDF is conducting in Gaza and Lebanon ”has not distanced Saudi Arabia from Israel ”, did not damage the path towards an agreement with Riyadh because ”the Saudis are interested in having relations with Israel in the region”. Known for being the doctor who saved the life of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in prison in 2004, Bitton explained that ”the Saudis are waiting for the right conditions to be created for a peace agreement with Israel. They are interested in reaching an agreement with Israel because for them the main enemy is Iran, not Israel”. In short, Riyadh and Tel Aviv ”have the same enemy”.