The October 7 atrocities committed against Israel and by Hamas terrorists with support from the Islamic Republic of Iran has frozen the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as the clerical regime in Tehran doubtless anticipated. Now, the future of Saudi-Israeli relations may well depend on the outcome of Israel's war against Hamas. 

Host Cliff May is joined by top experts Bernard Haykel and Mark Dubowitz to discuss the status of Israeli-Saudi relations on October 6 versus now, including just how close the U.S. was to reaching a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia — and the likelihood of those talks resuming; why these normalization efforts motivated Tehran to unleash Hamas on October 7; and how those who correctly decried the Khashoggi murder remain silent on the October 7 butchering of Americans in Israel. 

They consider the future of Israel's war against Hamas, including day-after scenarios for when Israel cripples Hamas — will this war really be over after that? And what future role might the Saudis play in a post-war Gaza and West Bank?

They also break down the ways in which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 expands beyond economics as a broader vision for the Middle East and Saudi Arabia's role in it; the importance of Vision 2030 building Saudi Arabia as a nation — and why this contradicts the Islamist vision of expansion held by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Bernard Haykel

Bernard is a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. His research focuses on the “political and social tensions that arise from questions about religious identity and authority” with a particular emphasis on Islam, history, and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. His books include “Saudi Arabia in Transition” and “Revival and Reform in Islam.”

Mark Dubowitz

Mark is FDD’s chief executive officer. He has conducted extensive research in Saudi Arabia and in Israel and on (not in!) the Islamic Republic of Iran. Indeed, he has been both sanctioned and threatened by Tehran’s rulers. He has also been sanctioned by Russia and blacklisted by Turkey.