On Sunday, Prince Faisal bin Turki Al Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief, appeared beside Efraim Halevy, the director of Mossad from 1998-2002, on a podium in New York.
Al Faisal dismissed the idea that Israel and Saudi Arabia are edging towards detente, but his many references to Iran's “nuclear arms plans” and growing regional clout underscored the perceived common threat shared by both countries.
But the fear of Iran would not propel Riyadh into clandestine military cooperation with Israel unless the Tel Aviv first struck an equitable, two-state peace deal with Palestinians, Al Faisal insisted.