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Secret Israeli-Saudi Ties Likely to Continue after King's Death
(Jerusalem Post) Ariel Zilber - The tacit security and intelligence cooperation that has come to characterize Israel's clandestine relationship with Saudi Arabia is likely to remain intact following Thursday's passing of King Abdullah. "The changes that the Middle East has experienced in recent years have created a set of joint interests between the two countries," said Dr. Michal Yaari, an expert on Saudi foreign policy and a lecturer at the Open University. "The biggest enemy for both countries is Iran, and there are also the radical terror groups like ISIS that threaten the regional order in the Middle East. It is this overall framework that has created the conditions for cooperation between Jerusalem and Riyadh." "Both countries have an interest to keep the relationship far from the public eye," Yaari said, with open engagement possible "only if Israel signs a comprehensive peace agreement with the entire Arab world."