Israel unlikely to improve Saudi ties despite Houthi threat, expert tells 'Post' - interview

Dr. Brandon Friedman, director of research at the Moshe Dayan Center, tells the Post that despite the shared Houthi threat, Israel is unlikely to improve ties with Saudi Arabia due to the Israeli election cycle and Riyadh's domestic political needs. Friedman notes that any cooperation would need to be discreet and that Riyadh's military dependence on Washington has left it with limited options, potentially pushing it toward appeasing Iran.

Dr. Brandon Friedman, director of research at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, told the Jerusalem Post that Israel is unlikely to find an opening to improve relations with Saudi Arabia despite the shared Houthi threat. Friedman spoke after Reuters reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was seeking US military assistance against the Houthis, and Israel Hayom reported that Israel had been indirectly approached through CENTCOM for intelligence sharing. Friedman said that while the security situation logically creates an opening for collaboration, it is "fairly unlikely as things stand" because "all foreign policy issues today are being refracted through the lens of the Israeli election." Any support Riyadh receives from Israel would need to happen "quietly" due to Saudi domestic political needs, and would likely only serve as a "pre-election boost" for the Israeli governing coalition. Friedman argued that Saudi Arabia has become increasingly dependent on Washington over the past 15 years and has "very little of its own military power," which is why its war in Yemen has been a failure. With the US refusing aid and cooperation with Israel off the table, Friedman suggested Saudi Arabia's remaining option is to "appease" Iran, which he says is what is happening now. The Houthis have already bombed the East-West pipeline, rerouting around 4 million barrels of oil per day, or roughly 4% of global supply.