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The Saudi Street Opposes Normalizing Relations with Israel

(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Ilan Zalayat - Polls conducted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy since the Abraham Accords in 2020 found that 40% of Saudis supported economic ties with Israel if they proved beneficial to the local economy. This figure, although a minority, indicates an exceptional openness to entertain pragmatic relations with Israel; in contrast, support for similar ties in Egypt and Jordan, both of which have peace treaties with Israel, hovers around 10%. However, Saudi sentiments shifted dramatically during the Gaza war. In Nov.-Dec. 2023, support for any form of relations with Israel dropped to 20%, and 96% of Saudis favored the immediate cessation of ties between the Arab states and Israel in response to its actions in Gaza. Even before the war, 87% of Saudis believed that Israel could eventually be defeated, and only 5% agreed that world Jewry should be respected and that relations with them should be improved. Only 20% of Saudis expressed support for their government's cooperation with Israel against Iran, while only a slim majority of 60% of Saudis even viewed Tehran as a rival after the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation in March 2023. Despite an obvious shift in the discourse on relations with Israel within the Saudi kingdom, hostility to Israel and aversion to the idea of relations with it are firmly rooted among the general public, leaving a clear gap between the positions of the populace and the government. Normalization of relations with Israel will be an unpopular move among the Saudis. The writer is a research associate at INSS.
2024-03-19 00:00:00
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