Navigating Moral and Pragmatic Realities

The 2023 Gaza War highlighted a critical issue in Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy: the dilemma between its traditional responsibility as Custodian of the Two Holy Sites, Mecca and Medina, and its pragmatic efforts to advance national interests through normalisation with Israel. The Kingdom has recently sought a strategic partnership with Israel, motivated by common security concerns and a desire to protect itself against Iran’s advancing nuclear capabilities, in the face of the US ’ hesitation to provide concrete security guarantees. This case study examines Saudi Arabia’s dual-track strategy toward Israel and Palestine by analysing diplomatic statements, official documents, UN records, and academic literature through the lens of ontological security. The fundamental argument is that the Gaza War forced a pause in the normalisation effort because the potential domestic impact on the Kingdom’s regime legitimacy and identity narrative initially surpassed the security benefits of direct Israeli cooperation. The crisis directly challenged the state’s ontological role as the defender of the Muslim cause, indicating that narrative consistency and consequently internal stability were a temporary priority over material geopolitical calculation.