CONTEMPORARY EURASIA IX ( 2 )
Turkish-Israeli relations after the Mavi Marmara incident , Almog et al ., like Zarras , highlights that “ Ankara ’ s previously close relationship with Saudi Arabia became tense as a result of Turkey ’ s clear support for the Muslim Brotherhood .” 59 These developments , Philipp Amour reasons , were alarming for Israel , as the latter “ was concerned with all these developments as a counter to the status quo .” 60 Therefore , Israel saw Saudi Arabia as a possible ally after the deterioration of relations with Turkey .
The common trait of the studied literature was that most of the authors show the dynamics of the relations between Israel and Turkey , and Saudi Arabia and Turkey . Also , although they had cordial relations or common interests , their interests eventually diverged and their relationship became strained , which pushed Saudi Arabia and Israel closer .
Shared Concerns and Interests
While Iran has been a nuclear threat to Saudi Arabia and Israel from the beginning of the 2000s , it has become more assertive since 2011 , most notably since the Arab Spring . 61 Marta Furlan highlights that the 2011 uprisings resulted in significant changes and challenges in the region , including the fall of several governments , the crumbling of the regional status quo , ongoing brutal internecine wars , etc . Hence , she notes , regional actors like Israel and Saudi Arabia had to adjust their policies and relations corresponding to the new situation . In this process of adjustment , they have found out that they share interests and concerns , which immensely promoted their eventual cooperation . 62
Oz Hassan clarifies that Saudi Arabia , being inherently conservative since its political establishment , has adopted a policy that was intended to maintain the status quo in the region , which , in turn , should be the paramount guarantee of the maintenance of its influence in the international arena , and the key safeguard of the country ’ s domestic stability ( particularly the stability of the House of Saud ). 63 That is why the Kingdom was concerned about the regime changes , civil wars , unrests , and revolts taking place in the Middle East , as they led to the
59
Ibid ., 87 .
60
Phillip O . Amour , “ Israel , the Arab Spring , and the Unfolding Regional Order in the Middle East : A Strategic Assessment ,” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 44 , no . 3 , ( 2016 ): 2 . 61 Furlan , Israeli – Saudi Relations in a Changed and Changing Middle East : Growing
Cooperation ?
62
Ibid .
63
Oz Hassan , “ Undermining the transatlantic democracy agenda ? The Arab Spring and Saudi Arabia ’ s counteracting democracy strategy ,” Democratization , 22 , no . 3 ( 2015 ): 479 – 495 . 16