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Saudi and Bahraini Journalists in Israel: "We Have a Common Enemy in Iran"
(i24News) Ariel Oseran - During a visit to Israel, Saudi journalist Abdulaziz Alkhamis and Bahraini journalist Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed told a panel hosted by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs that Iran's direct attacks on Gulf states have fundamentally altered regional perceptions. Al-Sayed said, "We have a common enemy, and this enemy is not a theory anymore. It's not proxies anymore. Iran actually directly attacked Gulf states with its ballistic missiles and drones, just as it attacked Israel and Jordan." Alkhamis argued that despite official rhetoric, many Arab governments privately welcomed Israel's military campaign against Iran and its proxies. "Some countries are brave enough to say Israel did a very good job in this war and wanted Israel to continue. Others claim Israel dragged them into the conflict, but nobody believes that....The main source of instability in the region is not Israel. It is extremism, and those countries that support extremists and their barbaric actions like October 7 - especially Iran." Jerusalem Center President Dan Diker said many governments across the Arab world quietly support Israel's efforts to weaken Iran, even if they cannot publicly express that support. "Israel stands alone publicly, but it has very quiet, even embarrassed, cheerleaders across the Arab world." "As Gulf Arab countries revisit decades of appeasement of Iran and distancing themselves from Israel, it is very possible that Israel will find itself partnering with countries that until now avoided any public affiliation."