Will Saudi Arabia Turn Against The U.S. ?

Israel has been delaying any peace negotiations with the Palestinians for many years now. They are primarily doing this because with each month they delay they can steal more Palestinian land for Israeli settlements -- land they have no intention of ever parting with in negotiating a Palestinian State. In an effort to stop the stealing of their land and force a final settlement resulting in a country of their own, the Palestinians are taking their case to the United Nations this month.

They are asking the United Nations to recognize the Palestinian state as a country and give them a seat at the United Nations. Most of the countries in the Middle East support this, as do many other countries around the world. The nations of Europe are mostly on the fence, and haven't decided how they would vote in the General Assembly. But there is one country that stands as a roadblock to keep this from happening -- the United States. The United States has not only asked Palestine not to proceed with this, but they have threatened to cut off aid for them and to veto the measure when it makes it to the Security Council.

The United States may have thought they were operating from a position of power while making these threats, but it now looks like these moves (if the U.S. follows through with them) could cost the U.S. a powerful ally in the Middle East -- Saudi Arabia. Prince Turki al-Faisal, former head of Saudi Intelligence and former Saudi ambassador to the U.S. and a member of the royal family, has written a scathing editorial in the New York Times. In it he says the U.S. could lose Saudi Arabia as an ally if it stops the statehood question in the United Nations. Here is some of what he had to say:

The United States must support the Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations this month or risk losing the little credibility it has in the Arab world. If it does not, American influence will decline further, Israeli security will be undermined and Iran will be empowered, increasing the chances of another war in the region.


Moreover, Saudi Arabia would no longer be able to cooperate with America in the same way it historically has. With most of the Arab world in upheaval, the “special relationship” between Saudi Arabia and the United States would increasingly be seen as toxic by the vast majority of Arabs and Muslims, who demand justice for the Palestinian people.


Saudi leaders would be forced by domestic and regional pressures to adopt a far more independent and assertive foreign policy. Like our recent military support for Bahrain’s monarchy, which America opposed, Saudi Arabia would pursue other policies at odds with those of the United States, including opposing the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Iraq and refusing to open an embassy there despite American pressure to do so. The Saudi government might part ways with Washington in Afghanistan and Yemen as well.


The Palestinian people deserve statehood and all that it entails: official recognition, endorsement by international organizations, the ability to deal with Israel on more equal footing and the opportunity to live in peace and security. . .


The Obama administration has had ample opportunities to lead Israelis and Palestinians into bilateral peace talks, but American policy makers have unfortunately been more preoccupied with a deteriorating domestic economy and a paralyzed political scene than with finding a workable solution to this epic injustice. Because Washington has offered no viable new proposals, the least it can do is step aside and not hinder Saudi, European and moderate Arab efforts to advance Palestinian rights at the United Nations. . .


Although Saudi Arabia is willing and able to chart a new and divergent course if America fails to act justly with regard to Palestine, the Middle East would be far better served by continuing cooperation and good will between these longstanding allies.


American support for Palestinian statehood is therefore crucial, and a veto will have profound negative consequences. In addition to causing substantial damage to American-Saudi relations and provoking uproar among Muslims worldwide, the United States would further undermine its relations with the Muslim world, empower Iran and threaten regional stability. Let us hope that the United States chooses the path of justice and peace.

Although he doesn't mention it specifically, Saudi Arabia could effectively end the era of cheap oil for the United States. Some of you may think that oil is already expensive, but it could get much worse if the Saudi's decide to punish the U.S. by playing games with the price and supply of oil -- and they have the power to do it. Without Saudi Arabia as a cheap supplier of oil and as a moderating influence on other Arab nations, the U.S. could find itself in a much worse position -- both in the Middle East and at home.

Will the United States government pay heed to this warning? Probably not. Our foreign policy in the Middle East has been dictated by Israel for far too long. The U.S. will probably exercise that veto, and then things could get very messy.