Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Ghost of Palestine: A Mirage of Peace?”

The Mirage on the Horizon
Let’s begin with the bait: Saudi Arabia normalizes ties with Israel. Tel Aviv, in return, recognizes a Palestinian state — on paper, at least. The world cheers. Washington calls it “historic.” Op-eds sprout like mushrooms after rain. But pause the orchestra.

This is not Oslo. And it’s certainly not Camp David.

This is a deal between two powerful states — Israel and Saudi Arabia — brokered by a third, the United States, with the fate of a third people — the Palestinians — treated like a variable to be solved rather than a party to be heard.

Behind the fanfare of “normalization” lies a deeply uncomfortable truth: this so-called path to peace might just be another road bypassing Palestinian agency altogether.

The Realpolitik Behind the Ribbon-Cutting

Let’s strip this down.

The quiet Saudi-Israeli ties aren’t new. Intelligence coordination, cyber-tech sharing, even aligned regional strategies against Iran have long bound the two. What’s changed is optics — not intent. Riyadh’s calculus has evolved. Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) wants foreign investment, tech innovation, and geopolitical stature. That vision — NEOM, Vision 2030, sportswashing and all — demands Western approval. And Western approval flows more freely when you shake hands with Israel.