"Despite these polls and the passions raised by the war with Hamas, it is easy to exaggerate the power of Gaza as a motivating issue for voters eight months from no-win November. History suggests that foreign policy issues end up as a minor motif in presidential politics unless American soldiers are dying in combat as they were in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2004.”
I don’t think the Saudi royal family cares about Gaza. They may talk the talk because it helps cement their regional leadership. But billionaire Arab oil monarchs don’t care about a bunch of half-Arab refugees hiding in tunnels under shanty towns.
The truth is that radical Islamist groups like Hamas, the Houthis, and ISIS are a potentially grave threat to the Saudi royal family. It is absolutely in the Saudi’s interest to have distraction targets. The US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, the Syria war, Houthi attacks on western-owned Red Sea shipping, simmering tensions between the US and Iran… these are all good for thr Saudis. They all increase the price of oil, make Saudi Arabia an attractive, stable ally for the West, and keep Islamist radicals focused on the evil unbelievers rather than the evil oil monarchs.
They care for show. But they also care because Saudi style help, would be them owning the land essentially. Now Saudi could build the Suez canal competition in the strip. The Saudis dislike the Egyptians and love more money. That’s my tin foil hat conspiracy anyways.