Following reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested military assistance from Israel against the Houthis, prominent journalist Amit Segal mocked the Saudi position, saying that after years of incitement against Israel, the Saudis now turn to Israel in distress. He added that while he is unsure Israel should assist without political concessions, he takes satisfaction that 'the Saudis don't pray to Mecca — they pray to Jerusalem.' The comments are personal analysis and do not reflect confirmed policy.
Prominent Israeli journalist Amit Segal on Wednesday evening mocked Saudi Arabia over reports that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had requested direct military assistance from Israel against the Iran-backed Houthis. "You know what's really charming about the Houthi conquests there in the Red Sea?" Segal wrote on Telegram. "To see the Saudis begging… After all the incitement against Israel and the antisemitism, the second they get into trouble — everyone abandons them. Then in their distress they call the 'stinky Jews' from the Zionist State of Israel and say 'please help us.'" He concluded: "I don't know if it's good that Israel assists without political compensation, but I am satisfied. Because in the end, when there's a problem, the Saudis don't pray to Mecca — they pray to Jerusalem."
The new post expands on Segal's earlier comments, reported by The Zioneer at 17:40 Jerusalem on Wednesday, when he observed that Saudi Arabia now appears oriented toward Jerusalem rather than Mecca. That bulletin built on an analysis Segal published on Tuesday, Sep 15, at 20:27 Jerusalem, in which he argued that the tripartite Mecca Defense Pact — signed between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan — had failed to counter Houthi threats, positioning Israel as Riyadh's more reliable security partner.
Segal's remarks come amid growing reports of Saudi Arabia's reliance on external partners to counter Houthi attacks from Yemen. As The Zioneer has reported, Riyadh has sought diplomatic and military assistance from both the United Kingdom (Bloomberg, Tue 16:01 Jerusalem) and Israel (News 14, Wed 20:44 Jerusalem). The Trump administration has provided intelligence support but has not committed to direct strikes. Segal's personal analysis, while not indicative of any policy shift, captures a prevalent sentiment in Israeli right-of-center discourse regarding the shifting dynamics in the Arabian Peninsula.
No formal agreement has been confirmed. The reports of Saudi requests remain unverified, and Segal's commentary is personal analysis, not a reflection of confirmed policy.
3 developments
- StrongSaudi Arabia signals possible large-scale military operation against Houthis, US official says
- StrongBloomberg: Saudi Arabia requests UK diplomatic and military aid against Houthis
- StrongNews 14: Saudi Arabia 'desperate' for Israeli help against Houthis; China, Russia assist Iran
- DevelopingSaudi Arabia confirms bin Salman, Trump push for Middle East calm, warn against wider war
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