When 96% of the population is vehemently for or against something, not even a totalitarian government can ignore it without consequences. Saudi Arabia was on its tracks to normalize diplomatic relationships with Israel before October, where have those intentions gone now?
I feel you underestimate Saudi Arabia’s ability to be totalitarian. And while the population might disagree with leadership on this issue, it doesn’t mean they disagree on all issues and are about to start a revolution about this one issue.
But, more importantly, Saudi Arabia is the USAs most significant ally in the middle east. Losing access to American made weapons is more worrying to the Saudi Arabian Royal Family than losing the popular support of the domestic population. Because with American weaponry one can easily coerce the domestic population.
I feel those intentions to normalize relations are still there behind closed doors and will play out in the long run.
You heavily overestimate them. Saudi already has bent to the population before when they tried to westernize too fast and it blew up in their faces. That’s why MBS now openly says he wants to do it gradually.
Some of the most the most prominent guerilla fighters that beat America in resistance groups were actually Saudis that went to Jihad.
If even America can’t beat those guys it’s impossible that a bunch of dudes with American weapons can, especially if they can’t just carpet bomb everything American style because it’s their own country.
The Saudi royals would love to get rid of their religious population and sell out to America they can’t.
They didn’t, sure, but “opposing that country because they’re treating some other Muslims badly” is pretty different from “opposing that country after I’ve seen images of brutal attacks against other Muslims week after week in recent memory”.
When 96% of the population is vehemently for or against something, not even a totalitarian government can ignore it without consequences.
Imposing those consequences on the government will mean those citizens will stop getting their handouts from the government . They’re not going to risk it over this.
When 96% of the population is vehemently for or against something, not even a totalitarian government can ignore it without consequences. Saudi Arabia was on its tracks to normalize diplomatic relationships with Israel before October, where have those intentions gone now?
I feel you underestimate Saudi Arabia’s ability to be totalitarian. And while the population might disagree with leadership on this issue, it doesn’t mean they disagree on all issues and are about to start a revolution about this one issue.
But, more importantly, Saudi Arabia is the USAs most significant ally in the middle east. Losing access to American made weapons is more worrying to the Saudi Arabian Royal Family than losing the popular support of the domestic population. Because with American weaponry one can easily coerce the domestic population.
I feel those intentions to normalize relations are still there behind closed doors and will play out in the long run.
You heavily overestimate them. Saudi already has bent to the population before when they tried to westernize too fast and it blew up in their faces. That’s why MBS now openly says he wants to do it gradually.
Some of the most the most prominent guerilla fighters that beat America in resistance groups were actually Saudis that went to Jihad.
If even America can’t beat those guys it’s impossible that a bunch of dudes with American weapons can, especially if they can’t just carpet bomb everything American style because it’s their own country.
The Saudi royals would love to get rid of their religious population and sell out to America they can’t.
Do you think a majority of the population supported normalization before October?
They didn’t, sure, but “opposing that country because they’re treating some other Muslims badly” is pretty different from “opposing that country after I’ve seen images of brutal attacks against other Muslims week after week in recent memory”.
That’s true. I still don’t think the Saudi oligarchy really cares, but we’ll see.
Imposing those consequences on the government will mean those citizens will stop getting their handouts from the government . They’re not going to risk it over this.