For Saudi Arabia, domestic backlash to the Israeli military operation against Hamas will complicate its efforts to normalize ties with Israel, and may also feed into opposition and radical movements inside the kingdom. Israel's ongoing efforts to remove Hamas from power in the Gaza Strip have sparked significant domestic and political backlash in Saudi Arabia. As media coverage shows images of civilian casualties, the Palestinian question is once again taking center stage in the regional public consciousness. This backlash has already had policy effects: on Oct. 14, Reuters reported that U.S.-brokered normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia had been 'frozen' and would remain so for the duration of the Gaza conflict, following a summer where those negotiations had allegedly made significant progress. Saudi Arabia has also been overtly critical of Israel since the latest flare-up of violence with Hamas. In a statement issued following the Palestinian militant group's initial...
