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Israeli-Hamas Conflict: Saudi Arabia as Potential Peacemaker, by Zekeri Idakwo
The recent escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has raised concerns about the stability of the Middle East and the prospects of peace in the region.
The latest conflicts began when Hamas militants crossed into Israel from its southern border on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people. In response, Israel targeted Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 3,700. More persons have died on both sides since then.
The international community has called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations, but the two sides have shown little willingness to compromise.
In this context, some observers have pointed to the potential role of Saudi Arabia, the most influential Arab country and a regional rival of Iran, as a peacemaker between Israel and Hamas. Historically, Saudi Arabia has reportedly supported the Palestinian cause and opposed Israel’s occupation of Arab lands, but it has also shown signs of warming up to Israel in recent years.
Recent report by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) revealed that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, strongly condemned the targeting of civilians in Gaza, describing it as a “heinous crime and a brutal attack.”
Saudi Arabia was one of the main architects of the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, which offered Israel normal relations with all Arab states in exchange for a full withdrawal from the territories occupied since 1967 and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem. However, Israel allegedly rejected the proposal and continued to expand its settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia welcomed the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements that normalised ties between Israel and four Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Although Saudi Arabia did not join the accords itself, it allowed Israeli flights to use its airspace and reportedly held secret meetings with Israeli officials.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia also shares Israel’s concern about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its support for militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Some analysts have speculated that Saudi Arabia might be preparing for a historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas in the near future.
However, Saudi Arabia faces several challenges and risks in pursuing such a deal. First, it has to balance its relations with its allies in the Arab and Muslim world, especially Egypt and Jordan, which have peace treaties with Israel but also support the Palestinian cause. Second, it has to deal with the domestic backlash from its conservative population and religious establishment, which view Israel as an enemy and regard Jerusalem as a holy city. Third, it has to consider the implications of such a deal for its rivalry with Iran, which might try to exploit the situation to undermine Saudi Arabia’s regional influence and legitimacy.
Therefore, Saudi Arabia’s role as a peace agent between Israel and Hamas is not straightforward or simple. It requires careful diplomacy, strategic vision and political will. Saudi Arabia might be able to use its leverage over Hamas, which receives financial aid from Qatar, a close ally of Saudi Arabia, to pressure it to stop firing rockets at Israel and accept a ceasefire. It might also be able to use its influence over Israel, which seeks recognition and security from the Arab world, to persuade it to halt its airstrikes on Gaza and ease its blockade on the coastal enclave. Moreover, Saudi Arabia might be able to revive the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which would address the core issues of borders, refugees, security and Jerusalem.
Such a role would not only benefit Saudi Arabia’s interests and image in the region and beyond, but also contribute to the stability and prosperity of the Middle East as a whole. It would also enhance the prospects of peace between Judaism and Islam, two Abrahamic faiths that share common roots and values. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the UN General Assembly in September, 2023: “Such a peace will go a long way in ending the Arab-Israeli conflict and will encourage other Arab States to normalise their relations with Israel… It will also encourage a broader reconciliation between Judaism and Islam, between Jerusalem and Mecca, between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael.”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its leaders will be celebrated as heroes if they go ahead to vigorously pursue this peace agenda and are able to restore normalcy between the two warring countries.
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