In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP President Lara Friedman speaks with Saudi researcher and analyst of Saudi foreign policy Aziz Alghashian about the impact of Israel’s now more than 4-month-long war on Gaza on the political calculations and policies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Aziz is a fellow at Sectarianism, Proxies & De-sectarianisation (SEPAD) and at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO). He earned his PhD from the University of Essex, where he taught International Relations, Politics and Middle Eastern Studies. And most important for the purposes of today’s podcast, the focus of Aziz’s current research and writing is Saudi policy towards Israel, and Arab-Israeli relations.

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Show notes

Follow Aziz on Twitter/X: @AzizAlghashian

Recent publications authored by Aziz Alghashian

• Al-Monitor 2/10/24: What does Saudi Arabia’s position on Palestinian state signal to US, Israel? 
• The Cairo Review of Global Affairs (Winter 2024): A Revived Arab Peace Initiative from Saudi Arabia Could Save the Middle East
• New Lines Magazine (podcast & Notes) 10/20/23: The Geopolitics of the Gaza War— with Ali Hashem, Mairav Zonszein and Aziz Alghashian
• SEPAD 6/30/22: To Normalize or not Normalize: That is Saudi Arabia’s Question
• Foreign Policy 12/18/23: How Saudi Arabia Could Use Its Leverage in Gaza
• AGSIW 7/31/23: Israeli Strategies to Preserve and Expand the Abraham Accords
• AGSIW 11/10/22: The Depth of the Palestinian Ingredient in Saudi Political Identity and Projection

Saudi Government Statements Mentioned in this podcast

• 2/10/24: #Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia warns of the very serious repercussions of storming and targeting the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
• 2/6/24: A Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the discussions between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America on the Arab-Israeli peace process.
• 1/29/24: #Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is closely following the international repercussions regarding employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stressing the importance of strengthening review and investigation procedures into these allegations.
• 1/27/24: #Statement | The Foreign Ministry expresses Saudi Arabia’s welcome regarding the preliminary decision issued by the International Court of Justice that aims to put an end to all acts and declarations aimed at a real genocide against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza.

Also see

Asharq al-Awsat 2/9/24: Saudi Statement Put an End to Use of ‘Normalization’ for Electoral Purposes

Reuters 2/7/24: Saudi Arabia: no Israel ties without recognition of Palestinian state