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The killing of Khashoggi drew attention to the power behind the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This is causing difficulties for the United States and Israel, who have placed this ambitious 33-year-old at the center of their efforts to counter Iran's influence in the Middle East.
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations, but the two countries have a long-standing secret relationship in politics, intelligence and trade, some involving the largest defense subcontractors d & # 39; Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is developing good relations with Saudi Arabia.Credit:AP
Netanyahu often explains how several Arab neighbors are developing closer relations with Israel, partly because they share security concerns about Iran and partly because they want to have access to Israeli technology. Until his remarks Friday in Bulgaria, he almost never mentioned Saudi Arabia by name.
The date of the comment shows how much he views the importance of his nascent alliance with Prince Mohammed, both to fight Iran and to help US President Donald Trump secure the peace agreement. Israeli-Palestinian peace that he calls "the agreement of the century".
Oman calls
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his government was pressuring the Trump administration to pass the Khashoggi case. The United States could, if necessary, reprimand the Saudis, if necessary, by canceling an arms deal while keeping alive the fundamental alliance against Iran.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Credit:AP
The international outcry over the murder of Khashoggi, an insider who became critical, created a dilemma for Trump, who opposed blocking arms sales to the kingdom, but faces pressure from lawmakers for a moral position in the run-up to the mid-term elections.
Turkey, demanding that the suspects be extradited, stopped just before blaming the door of Prince Mohammed, whose modernization efforts have been undermined by internal repression, diplomatic breakups and war in the country. Yemen.
Trump, however, traced new regional battle lines by withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal of 2015. European, Russian and Chinese signatories remained on the spot, placing Saudi Arabia at the center of any front that Washington hopes to build against the Islamic Republic.
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He also made Saudi-Israeli relations a centerpiece of his plan for the Middle East, illustrating his point by going directly to Israel after meeting the Crown Prince in Riyadh. The Saudi authorities then allowed Air India to fly over their territory before traveling to Israel, reducing flight time by almost three hours, while Prince Mohammed had reached an unprecedented stage in an interview with Atlantic magazine. recognizing the right of Israelis to live in their own country. Earth.
Kushner Confidant
White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, right, stands behind President Donald Trump.Credit:AP
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and head of the US team tasked with preparing the Middle East Peace Plan, has forged close ties with the Crown Prince, who has the influence and influence of the United States. money to get things done, as well as for regional peace agreement so that he can ally ally with Israel against Iran.
The blow to the prince's reputation could limit his ability to tip the reluctant Arab states to the American plane.
"In regional politics, this episode diminishes the stature of MBS [bin Salman] and that undermines the premise that he will be able to build a consensus (…) on the initiative that Trump would move backstage, "said Cinzia Bianco, an analyst at Gulf State Analytics in London.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Israel has links with other Gulf states. Netanyahu went to Oman on Oct. 25 for a meeting with Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the first public appearance of an Israeli prime minister for 22 years.
But his remarks Friday clearly indicate that bin Salman remains at the center of Israeli strategy.
"Blocking Iran is at the center of our security concerns, not only for Israel, but also for Europe and the world," Netanyahu told a conference in Bulgaria.
"I think that we must find a way to achieve both goals" – go to the bottom of the Khashoggi massacres and maintain the front against Iran.
Bloomberg
