It is unclear how much, if any, foreknowledge Iran had of Hamas’ plans for its horrific Simchat Torah attack, but one thing is certain: the ayatollahs saw it as a golden opportunity to break up the growing alliance between Israel and moderate Sunni countries in the region.
That alliance was forged not out of any sudden epiphany among the Sunni states that Israel had a legitimate right to exist in the region, but rather out of a common fear of Iran and an understanding that only by working together with Israel can this moderate camp beat back Iran’s hegemonic Mideast designs.
It was not the love of Tel Aviv that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and -- unofficially -- Saudi Arabia together with Israel, but rather a fear and hatred of Tehran. The presence of Israel in the region might be an annoyance for those countries, but the ideology of the leaders in Iran was an existential threat.
Alliance forged by shared challenge
Out of that threat, cooperation -- including close security cooperation -- was born. READ MORE
