(Wall Street Journal) Rory Jones - Growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have raised hopes in Israel that officials can build closer ties with the Gulf monarchies based on their shared animosity toward Tehran. Led by Dore Gold, director-general of the foreign ministry, Israel has stepped up efforts to improve ties in the region. "Clearly there's been a convergence of interests between Israel and many Sunni Arab states given the fact that they both face identical challenges in the region," Gold told the Wall Street Journal. Tzipi Livni, a former Israeli foreign minister, said in an interview: "We have the same understanding of the region. This is the basis for an alliance." Yet Gulf Arab states still don't publicly recognize Israel's right to exist and would be loath to disclose closer ties with Israel at home.
2016-01-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive