By Thomas Joscelyn, FDD's Long War Journal: “The Shiites are advancing “from the outside on several fronts and from the inside as well,” but the House of Saud has demonstrated a “shameful inability” to confront them, Hamza claims.”
(Voice of America) Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said Israelis are entitled to live peacefully on their own land in an interview published on Monday in U.S. magazine The Atlantic, another public sign of ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv appearing to grow closer.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman acknowledged Israelis’ right to their own land in an interview with The Atlantic on Monday. “I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land. But we have to have a peace agreement to assure the stability for everyone and to have normal relations,” he said. The crown prince’s statements reveal a shift in the kingdom’s stance, which has long linked normalization of ties with Israel’s pullout from Arab lands taken in the 1967 war. The crown prince is currently on a US tour to garner support against Iran and find investment partners. Read More theatlantic.com
Tzuriel discussed what’s his agency is worried about: the growing Iranian presence in Syria, and better predicting other future threats.
- On Iran: “If they start building air, sea and ground bases for them and Shi’ite militias, a forward base like they built in Lebanon with Hezbollah, we have made clear we will not accept the situation. We have presented it as a red line.”
- On speaking to Moscow: “The Russians, having had a very formidable achievement in Syria, are not interested in destabilizing their achievement. They understand that if the Iranian proxy presence in Syria is a source of friction and tension and a potential flashpoint, they can also be a constructive player and can play a limiting and restraining role vis a vis Iran and Hezbollah.”
- On future threats: “To remain relevant is a strategic challenge, not only for intel organizations but for the private sector. Everybody is talking over the last few years of how to deal with this reality of the dizzying pace of change and instability.”