Why some Arab states support Israel
Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones on targets in Israel on the night from Saturday to Sunday - in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus, which killed several people. Israel's allies came to its defense: the British and US air forces helped repel airstrikes. France was apparently also involved, although it is unclear whether French units fired the missiles.
The fact that the Jordanian Air Force supported Israel attracted a lot of attention. The neighboring country opened its airspace to Israeli and US aircraft and, apparently, also shot down dronesviolating its airspace. Reuters news agency reports that Jordanians have noticed massive activity in the airspace. Images of the remains of a downed drone in the south of the capital Amman have circulated on social media.
“Moreover, the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, may have played an indirect role as they host Western air defense systems, aerial surveillance and aircraft refueling capabilities, all of which are essential to the operation.”
– writes the British Economist.
Some commentators were quick to point out the Arab participation in their posts, emphasizing that it proved that Israelis and Arabs can work together, and that Israel is not alone in the Middle East—for example, Anshel Pfeffer, a writer for the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and Mairav Zonssein of the think tank center of the International Crisis Group.
"Iran's attacks have rallied more supporters around the world around Israel, including powerful Arab states that criticize Israel's offensive in Gaza but still support the response to Iranian drone strikes,"
said Julien Barnes-Dacey, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations' North Africa Middle East Program.
Jordan is an example: the government is extremely critical of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. One in five Jordanians is of Palestinian descent, including the queen, and there has been increasingly hostile protest against Israel in recent weeks.
At the same time, Jordan borders Israel, guards the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, one of the most important sites for Muslims, Jews and Christians, and cooperates with Israeli authorities - although mostly behind the scenes. But the US is also an important ally of the country.
Therefore, Jordan must balance many competing interests and ensure the country's political stability and defense. The government was quick to clarify that supporting Israel was also an act of self-defense.
"Some of the objects that entered our airspace last night were intercepted because they posed a threat to our population and densely populated areas,"
– the authorities said in a statement.
“Parts (of the downed objects) fell on our territory without causing significant damage.”
The situation in Saudi Arabia is similar to Jordan: the government is trying to balance its own interests with international alliances, as well as its own realpolitik with actions related to the Gaza conflict.
The wealthy Gulf state was in the process of normalizing relations with Israel when the Gaza-based Hamas group attacked Israel on October 7. The attack in Israel killed about 1 people. The subsequent Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 200 people in recent months. Saudi Arabia has so far stopped rapprochement with Israel.
The Saudi government supports a ceasefire in Gaza and criticizes Israeli actions in the coastal strip. However, insiders behind closed doors say Saudi Arabia remains interested in improving its relations with Israel.
Iran and the Gulf States - a decades-long conflict
Whether or not they intervened on Israel's behalf this weekend, the Saudis have many other reasons for shooting down Iranian missiles.
For decades, the Near and Middle East has been divided along religious and sectarian lines. The Gulf countries have a Sunni majority, and Iran is considered a leading Shiite power. The mutual rivalry is somewhat similar to conflicts in Europe in which the two main denominations, Catholics and Protestants, competed with each other - for example, in Northern Ireland.
On the other hand, countries such as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are multi-ethnic and multi-religious, with a mix of Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as members of other religions and numerous ethnic groups. To the extent that Iran and the Gulf states have attempted to expand their influence there, they have found themselves caught in the crossfire.
This is where Iran's so-called proxies come into play. These are Muslim Shia organizations that Iran supports to a certain extent financially, militarily, logistically and even spiritually. These include the Houthi rebels in Yemen, an alliance of predominantly Shiite militias in Iraq and the political and military wing of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas is also one of them - even if, like most Palestinians, it is predominantly Sunni.
These groups took part in this weekend's attack, firing rockets at Israel from Yemen, Iraq and Syria.
On the other hand, in Iraq, according to unconfirmed reports, the US military stationed there shot down several missiles fired. It is not entirely clear whether the Saudis intercepted missiles from Yemen, unlike last year when they neutralized Houthi missiles.
“Regional players, particularly Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which are suspected of intercepting Iranian drones, will argue that they had to protect their own airspace,”
– emphasized Masoud Mostajabi, director of the Middle East program of the American analytical center of the Atlantic Council.
“But if these attacks escalate into the larger Israeli-Iranian conflict, states in the region that are seen as defenders of Israel could become targets and be drawn into a regional conflict.”
His conclusion:
"The fact that so much is at stake may prompt them to mediate between the adversaries to end the confrontation."
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