I thought this was interesting. remember it is from Haaretz and therefore always suspect :-)  

For Saudi Arabia, Israel is turning from foe to friend
Dialogue between Riyadh and Jeursalem will help both countries and promote a diplomatic agreement in the region.
By Amir Oren

. . .
A thin veneer of stability purchased with oil money covers a well that threatens to swallow a thousand wealthy princes. In a population of 27 million people, 5.5 million do not have Saudi citizenship. The unemployment rate among young people in the kingdom is 30 percent and the literacy rate is only 80 percent.

That is the background to the interesting message directed at Israel through an article published by a Saudi general in the American military magazine Joint Force Quarterly. Since a senior officer, a brigadier general in the royal family, does not pretend not to have the authority to reflect the conservative stand of the regime and does not publish for his own amusement statements and conclusions with diplomatic significance, it seems that Saudi Arabia is thus hesitatingly and conditionally courting Israel. The condition: that there be movement toward an agreement in the spirit of that promoted by Saudi King Abdullah. If Israel moves in this direction, he wrote as long as a decade ago, Saudi Arabia must express willingness for peace with Israel and influence the rest of the Arab world in this direction.

This time he went one step further. He praised President Shimon Peres and called for "encouraging Israelis, Palestinians and other Arabs to get to know each other at least initially over the Internet while discussing sports, photography and other common interests - including peace prospects."
. . .
He also justifies Israeli opposition to the arrival of foreign agitators by boat or plane. "Ultimately, Western leaders do not want to see 'social media' sources organize large protests erupting in Riyadh or downtown Beijing," causing chain reactions that would lead to the collapse of Western economies.

There is a thread here that is begging to be followed. Israel and Saudi Arabia have a mutual enemy, Iran, and a mutual buttress, the United States. Dialogue between them, perhaps beginning with military people like Naef, will help both countries and promote a diplomatic agreement in the region.

full article:
www.haaretz.com/opinion/for-saudi-arabia...

It is no surprise that those régimes who champion stability over the risky option of democratic self-governance seek allies - and Israel is in need of allies. The suppressive governments of the KSA, Bahrain, Syria and Iran all need allies against their own people. Two of them wouldn't pick Israel. The question is, whom of them would Israel want to give legitimacy?

Apr 16, 2012 -- 1:01PM, Roodog wrote:

If not a friend, then as an enemy who is willing to wait 1000 years to whip the Israelis.

 

>>>>>>> Saudi Arabia has been working with USA and Israel for decades. During 80's the whole "Mujahideen movement" was one of the product of that "Team work". The Talebans came out of those "Muhahideens" of the 80's.

Since Israeli policies are disliked by common people, Saudis work covertly with Israel in many areas. Also Israel is known to help and work with many ME dictatorships. It is nothing new.

Saudis also made few attempts to broker peace between Palestinians and Israelis. King Abduallah lead all arabs nations and gave a good proposal but Israel refused it.

I do not think Al- Saud administration want to wipe out Israel.

Maybe idiots at Fox News do not understand the difference between Iranians and Saudi Arabians. They ALSO forget that, one of the owners of Fox network (Second largest shares after Murdock!) is a Saudi citizen (A Saudi prince and well known investor!) as well.

Despite some short comings Saudis have been most "Reliable" allies of the USA since IKE was the president.

Guess it's never too late to learn things. ........

Apr 17, 2012 -- 3:34PM, BDboy wrote:

Apr 16, 2012 -- 1:01PM, Roodog wrote:

If not a friend, then as an enemy who is willing to wait 1000 years to whip the Israelis.

 

>>>>>>> Saudi Arabia has been working with USA and Israel for decades. During 80's the whole "Mujahideen movement" was one of the product of that "Team work". The Talebans came out of those "Muhahideens" of the 80's.

Since Israeli policies are disliked by common people, Saudis work covertly with Israel in many areas. Also Israel is known to help and work with many ME dictatorships. It is nothing new.

Saudis also made few attempts to broker peace between Palestinians and Israelis. King Abduallah lead all arabs nations and gave a good proposal but Israel refused it.

I do not think Al- Saud administration want to wipe out Israel.

Maybe idiots at Fox News do not understand the difference between Iranians and Saudi Arabians. They ALSO forget that, one of the owners of Fox network (Second largest shares after Murdock!) is a Saudi citizen (A Saudi prince and well known investor!) as well.

Despite some short comings Saudis have been most "Reliable" allies of the USA since IKE was the president.

Guess it's never too late to learn things. ........

My point is that no Muslim State will  ever have genuinely good diplomatic relations with Israel. The Muslim world runs from Algeria to Bangladesh with only India and Israel breaking their geographic succession of countries that spans the Old World.

Apr 18, 2012 -- 3:22PM, KindredSai wrote:

My point is that no Muslim State will  ever have genuinely good diplomatic relations with Israel. The Muslim world runs from Algeria to Bangladesh with only India and Israel breaking their geographic succession of countries that spans the Old World.

Geographic succession being the reason of Muslim countries not having good relations with Israel?

Are you joking or being serious?

The statement is not only incorrect but false. The Muslim world is quite large, and Muslim demographic expand beyond Muslim majority Nation-States. There are all various reasons why Muslim States do not recognise Israel and a lot of it has to do with the current occupation.

However there are Muslim nations that do recognise Israel, poor examples but examples nevertheless are Turkey, Egypt and Jordan.

NO. All has to do with the fact that Israel is the JEWISH State.  You can tell yourself anything you want to avoid the truth, but you can't escape it.