HERMINE HOVHANNISYAN
oppose the tyrannical policy and principles preached by some Zionist Jews . Zionism claims that it is based on the liberation of oppressed Jews . How can one get rid of oppression by oppressing others , or eliminate injustice by committing a greater injustice ?” 6 Thus , the Saudis believed that Zionism posed a serious threat from both strategic and military viewpoints .
Tensions between Jews and Arab Muslims have always existed and date back to ancient times . New hostilities emerged between these two in the wake of the official proclamation of the State of Israel by the executive of the Jewish Agency David Ben-Gurion on May 14 , 1948 . 7 “ After being forcibly exiled from their land , the people never ceased to pray and hope for their return to it and the restoration in it of their political freedom … Jews strove in every successive generation to reestablish themselves in their ancient homeland … In the year 5657 ( 1897 ), Theodore Herzl , the First Zionist Congress , proclaimed the right of the Jewish people to national rebirth in its own country and to rebuild its National Home . This right was recognized in the Balfour Declaration of November 2 , 1917 , and re-affirmed in the Mandate of the League of Nations which ”. 8
However , like the other Arab countries ( Egypt , Syria , Jordan , Lebanon ), Saudi Arabia also did not recognize the newly created state in the heart of the Arab World . Saudi Arabia ’ s anti-Zionist campaign had deep roots and went back to King ibn Saud ’ s struggle with the Hashemite family led by Sharif Hussein of Mecca . The Saudi king thought that the Zionists , who had migrated and settled in Palestine , could ally with the Hashemites and help them unite Palestine in their large state , even further strengthening their power . Additionally , the Saudis were strictly opposed to creating the Jewish state in the territories of Palestine and the fact that they could be mixed with Arabs . 9
Nevertheless , in spite of the harsh condemnation of the Jewish presence in Palestine , Saudi involvement in the Arab-Israel long-lasting conflict was quite slow , and their willingness to directly confront Israel
6 Murawiec and Holoch , Princes of darkness : The Saudi assault on the West , 186 . 7 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel , May
14 , 1948 , https :// mfa . gov . il / MFA / ForeignPolicy / Peace / Guide / Pages / Declaration % 20of % 20Establis hment % 20of % 20State % 20of % 20Israel . aspx .
8
Ibid .
9
Jacob Abadi , “ Saudi Arabia ’ s rapprochement with Israel : the national security imperatives ,” Middle Eastern Studies 55 , no . 3 ( 2019 ): 1 – 17 .
7