Saudi Arabia’s Islamist Pivot Raises Concerns in Israel, US

Israeli officials, Jewish organizations in the United States, and supporters of Israel are voicing mounting concern that Saudi Arabia might be reorienting its regional posture away from moderation and toward Islamist and Muslim Brotherhood-aligned forces — a shift that could carry significant consequences for U.S. allies and regional stability.

The unease follows a recent rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric emanating from Saudi state-linked media and prominent Saudi voices, alongside what analysts describe as Riyadh’s increasing alignment with countries and movements associated with political Islam. The trend has unsettled groups that once viewed Saudi Arabia as a potential cornerstone of Arab-Israeli normalization and a counterweight to Iran.

Saudi Arabia has intensified its anti-Israel rhetoric amid a widening rift with the United Arab Emirates and growing cooperation with Turkey and Qatar — two regional powers closely associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist movements hostile to Israel. The shift has disappointed U.S. advocacy groups that long viewed Saudi-Israeli normalization as a strategic prize.