New alliance hopes amid Iran’s attack on Israel

There is much over which to grieve since Iran launched a proxy war against Israel through Hamas on Oct. 7. The murder and violence that day, the heavy-handed Israeli response in Gaza, and the death of thousands of Israeli and Palestinian civilians.

This past weekend, the conflict reached a crescendo, as Iran directly attacked Israel with hundreds of drones and long-range missiles, while Hamas rejected yet another ceasefire agreement to which Israel had agreed. There was much to fear — but in a remarkable twist, it has given way to real hope.

Now, Iran has explicitly demonstrated what we knew all along: that it was always behind this round of fighting. It can no longer hide behind the terrorist organizations it employs in Gaza, Lebanon, or Yemen. Perhaps more significantly, Iran may have inadvertently renewed the long-awaited peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel that it initially sought to dismantle.

While the war with Hamas has further strained the already fragile political relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, Iran’s declaration of war may have turned that on its head. Rather than further endangering Israel’s standing in the Middle East, numerous countries across a vast expanse of linguistic and cultural differences came together to successfully ward off Iran’s military assault.

As Iranian drones and missiles flew, it was not only American and European forces shooting them down, but also those of Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Military officials from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were also in communication and providing support.

Ultimately, this historic act of aggression has proven that Israel is not alone in the Middle East but, rather, is part of a growing Sunni coalition against Iranian extremism. Israel has never been more needed — nor have others needed Israel more — than right now, as was on full display several days ago.

The result may be an expansion of the Abraham Accords — officially normalizing relations between Israel and an expanded list of moderate Sunni Muslim countries, already including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kosovo. These strategic peace accords have already led to the blossoming of cross-border trade.

They would expand significantly if Saudi Arabia, a regional heavyweight, created a parallel accord with Israel. Technological knowledge would flow to the Arabian Peninsula and beyond, while venture capital would galvanize Israeli startups — or inspire new startups within the other countries united through treaties.

The exchange of ideas and resources could with remarkable speed transform cold alliances of need into warm opportunities for collaboration. It has already happened between the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel. Saudi Arabia and Israel have now seen the full potential of such accords, even amid times of crisis.

Should Saudi-Israeli peace move forward, Israel may soon have peace agreements with a large proportion of its Arab neighbors — with many other majority-Muslim countries following suit. A unification of this sort would represent an entirely new political order in the Middle East, potentially destabilizing the fundamentalist regime in Iran. Out of military necessity could come strong economic ties and the possibility of collaboration, the exchange of ideas, technologies, and private-sector partnerships.

Another area of hope glimmers: public opinion. People from across the political spectrum — left, right, and center alike — have grown increasingly critical of and hostile towards Israel, with many using hyperbolic language to describe its war against an internationally recognized terrorist organization.

Now, perhaps the world may begin to view Israel more compassionately, recognizing its vulnerability as a tiny sliver of land on the front lines against ascendant Shiite extremists, who have aligned themselves with Russia, China, and other rivals of the United States and European democracies.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia has made meaningful — if overdue — strides towards human rights and could stop being viewed as little more than a global gas station and instead as a source of regional stability, with an increasingly educated and youthful workforce.

It is already reported to be working on a center of innovation on the Red Sea near Jordan, Egypt, and Israel — a symbolic center for a new Middle East. Peace with Israel would catapult this new project and enable Saudi Arabia to redefine itself — or at least help other countries understand its aspirations.

Perhaps the greatest outcome from Iran’s attacks on Israel may, ironically, be greater regional peace and stability. Israel is proving itself indispensable to moderate Middle Eastern countries and Western democracies alike. Saudi Arabia is protecting Israel from Iranian attacks. Their cool collaboration may yet spawn far greater hopes for the region.