Iran’s Strategy for Attacking Israel and the United States Transcript

Disclaimer: This transcript is an edited version version of a transcript created using AI technology and may not reflect 100% accuracy.

The video can be found here. 

Interviewer: Good afternoon and welcome to another topical and timely EMET webinar. Today is day 327 of the multi-front war waged by Iran and its terror proxies against the State of Israel. At around 5.00 am on Sunday morning, the IDF launched a preemptive strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli intelligence knew Hezbollah had planned a major attack on central Israel and acted pro-actively to destroy thousands of Hezbollah launchers and rockets. Hezbollah claimed to have launched approximately 320 rockets at northern Israel. Israel knocked out almost all of them entirely. Those that did land, did so in an empty field. The knee-jerk response from the left is to blame Israel for the escalation. Meanwhile, at least 60,000 to 80,000 residents of the North did not feel safe returning to their homes.

On July 30, Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Fahed Shakar in Beirut. The body of Mohammed Deif of Hamas, was found in Khan Yunis, Gaza and Ismael Haniya was killed in an IRGC apartment in Tehran. Since then, Israelis have been bracing for a massive response from Tehran and from Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Biden administration sent the USS Lincoln, a major aircraft carrier, and the USS Georgia, a nuclear submarine, into the Mediterranean. We are grateful for that support. However, it is clear the United States wants Israel to act in a defensive capacity only, even though Hezbollah has fired at least 7500 drones and missiles into Israel from southern Lebanon.

US State Department spokesman, John Kirby said that we have to assume that Iran remains, “postured and prepared to strike.” Meanwhile, Iran’s new foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, has been reaching out to Sunni nations, including Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt and Qatar. Before his elimination in 2020, the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani stated that Iran’s goal is to create a “ring of fire” around Israel. He also threatened to deal with the United States after dealing with Israel.

Iran’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is of particular interest. Saudi Arabia is the keeper of the world’s greatest mosques in Mecca and Medina. Relations between the Shiite Islamic regime and the Saudis have been strained for many years. However, in March 2023, Beijing brokered a bilateral deal between them. What does this deal really mean? Does Iran want to become the keeper of the great mosques? Does this agreement have anything to do with Saudi Arabia’s vast oil trade? How does it affect the Saudi relationship with Israel and the United States?

Here to discuss these issues and more, is ambassador Yoram Ettinger. Ambassador Ettinger is one of the most knowledgeable Middle East experts there is. His expertise extends to the relationship between the United States and Israel. He regularly meets with members of Congress and of the Knesset and frequently appears on both Israel and American television and radio.

Before turning to our guest, we want to remind you that we write and publish at least one article a week, and we are on Capitol Hill almost every single day. We provide members of Congress with facts and analyses needed to facilitate critical policy decisions. EMET offers timely, nonpartisan education to members of Congress and their staff, on Capitol Hill. Our work helps ensure a more secure future for the United States and for the State of Israel and we depend upon each and every one of you for your support. Please go to https://emetonline.org/ to support us in our valuable work. Your contributions are particularly important at this dangerous juncture for the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

One of the many highlights of our year is being able to walk the halls of Congress with our guest, ambassador Yoram Ettinger. Yoram, can you describe the historical relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia?

Yoram Ettinger: Certainly. I will start by discussing the words of Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. Khamenei recently intensified his references to what he calls the front of Ali versus the front of Yazid. People who are aware of Islamic Shiite history will recognize the significance of those references. To understand the policy of the Ayatollahs, one needs to pay attention to the historical background.

The front of Ali refers to the Shiite front, named after the Shiite leader, Shiite Caliph Ali. In the 7^th century. His son Hussein was killed by the Sunnis. This murder started the volcanic conflict between Shiites and Sunnis, which continues until today. Khamenei’s references to the front of Yazid allude to Yazid, the caliph. According to the Shiites, Yazid betrayed Hussein, the Shiite grandson of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. Yazid killed him and raped the women associated with Ali. Khamenei’s reference to Yazid reminds people not to forget that Yazid is the role model for treachery and betrayal.

Every Muslim enemy of the Ayatollahs of Iran is referred to as a Yazid. However, they place the most emphasis on Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia controls Mecca and Medina, the two holiest sites for Islam. There is an obvious rivalry between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia over the domination of the Muslim world. The Saudis control 48% of global oil reserves in the Persian Gulf. Iran’s goal of toppling the Saudi regime also has to do with its eagerness to control these global oil reserves. Saudi Arabia dominates the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Peninsula provides access to the main trade route between the Far East and Europe and has a major impact upon global trade. For all of the reasons discussed and more, the Ayatollahs of Iran are focusing their efforts on toppling the so called Yazid regime or the Sunni regime of the Saudis.

The battle of 680 AD was the major betrayal of the Shiites by the caliph Yazid. This battle still plays a critical role in shaping the identity, the worldview, and the day-to-day policies of Shiite Iran. The 680 Karbala battle commenced the series of historical milestones shaping the Iranian Ayatollahs’ policy. The so-called Shiite century followed the Karbala battle and lasted from the mid-10th century through the mid-11th century. During this period, the Shiites successfully asserted themselves in significant parts of the Muslim world. Their area of influence extended from Egypt in the west, all the way through Lebanon and Syria to the Caspian Sea. The Shiite century was a relatively short-lived success but it deeply impacted the Iranian ethos and the Shiite ideology and vision. In 1501 Iran declared its official religion to be Shiite Islam. Iran was a very significant Muslim country. This was the first time that a significant Muslim country recognized Shiism as its official religion. 1979 was another significant milestone year for the Shiites. 1979 was the year of the Islamic revolution. The Islamic revolution mandated exportation of Shiism to the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, East Africa, North Africa, West Africa and all the way to Latin America.

The Supreme Leader and Ayatollahs of Iran believe we are living in the modern-day Shiite century. According to them, this Shiite century will be more successful than the one of the 10th and 11th centuries. Many people in the West ridicule such a worldview and do not accord it much significance. However, I suggest that we take it very seriously. In 1979, the Ayatollahs toppled the Shah of Iran with help from the US administration and US State Department. The US fumbled when it came to its Middle East policy. In 1979, Iran was barely a second- rate power. Today, 45 years later, they are a global power to reckon with. They are a global power with the ability to destabilize the Middle East and the entire world and they are on the verge of becoming a nuclear power. I recommend we take the Ayatollahs’ vision very seriously.

The Supreme Leader’s talk about the Ali front versus the Yazid front is a direct threat to every single pro American Arab country. This is especially true for the oil producing Arab countries. This has the potential to profoundly impact the price at the pump and the state of the US economy.

The 1979 revolution ushered in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC serves almost as the personal military power of the Ayatollahs of Iran. The IRGC has been entrusted with external policy or external attempts to export the Islamic revolution. In Saudi Arabia, they have focused on agitation and subversion in the Shiite part of Saudi Arabia. The Shiites comprise roughly 20% of the Saudi population but they constitute a majority in the leading oil region in Saudi Arabia. The Shiites of Iran have targeted this area in an attempt to destabilize Saudi Arabia. This is a very critical area for Saudi Arabia and for the entire world. It is the prime area and the capital of oil production in Saudi Arabia. This is the area where Ras Tanura is located. Ras Tanura is their leading oil port and oil operations center and the point from which Saudi oil is exported. It is located in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province. As discussed, most people in this area are Shiites and it is where the Islamic revolutionary guard has been active.

The IRGC is very active in Kuwait and is agitating there as well. Al Durra is a major offshore oil field. Al Durra is owned jointly by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia but is claimed by Iran’s Ayatollahs. The Ayatollahs of Iran are also focused on Bahrain. Bahrain is a tiny island in the Persian Gulf and is basically an extension of Saudi Arabia. At minimum, 60% of Bahrain’s population is Shiite. The Bahrainis in Bahrain are a minority. The majority are non-Bahrainis employed by Bahrainis. Some say the Bahrainis have enslaved the non- Bahrainis in order to sustain the Sunni rulers’ extremely high standard of living. Bahrain has been targeted by Iran.

The Iranian Ayatollahs are not limiting their subversion and terror efforts to the Persian Gulf. Jordan is their recent target and this impacts Saudi Arabia. Iranian subversive and terrorist activity is growing around the world. This aligns with the Iranian ambition that grew with the historical milestones I discussed earlier. Their ambition is very clearly stated in the 1979 Ayatollah’s constitution which is repeated every single day in Iranian schools. It is repeated and underscored every single Friday in mosque sermons. The message is very clear. First and foremost, the mission of the Ayatollahs is to vindicate the tragedy of Hussein who was murdered by Yazid the Sunni. They must avenge that betrayal by toppling every single so-called apostate or heretic regime.

Apostate or heretic regimes are the names the Iranian Ayatollahs use to refer to the Sunni, pro American, oil producing Arab regimes. In addition to Egypt and Jordan, they include countries in North Africa, all the way to Morocco. Jordan is key. In recent years, Iran has accelerated its attempts to topple the pro-American Hashemite regime in Jordan. They are doing this with the assistance of Iranian supported terrorists based in Iraq and in Syria. They are also leveraging the roughly two million Syrian refugees in northern Jordan. There are those who say that Iranian attempts to topple the Jordanian regime are Jordan’s problem. They assert that these efforts do not impact Americans in Pennsylvania, Texas, Michigan or California. This is not correct. Threats to the Jordanian regime directly impact homeland security in America. Toppling the pro-American Hashemite regime in Jordan would transform Jordan into a chaotic state. It would become an Islamic terrorist state in the mode of Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq or Yemen. There is a very robust Muslim Brotherhood presence inside Jordan. Although they are Sunnis, they have collaborated in modern times with the Shiites in Iran against their mutual enemy. The mutual enemy they refer to is the infidel west, and primarily the great American Satan.

Jordan has a 60% to 70% Palestinian majority. This provides a pretty significant foothold for Palestinian terror organizations. There is also the Bedouin reality in Jordan. The Bedouin tribes in the south of Jordan, regard the Hashemite Bedouins as carpet beggars who were transferred to Jordan by the British in the 1920s. They frequently accuse the Hashemites of being overly westernized. They are referring especially to the late King Hussein, the current king Abdullah, and their wives and recent queens in Jordan. The bottom line is that the Iranians have pretty fertile ground to sow in Jordan.

There is an American military presence in Jordan for good reason. There is also a very tight collaboration between Jordanian and Israeli national security elements. On the Israeli side, these elements include the IDF, Mossad or other agencies cooperating and collaborating independently of the peace process. Iranian interference was the major incentive for Jordan to conclude a peace accord with Israel. They did not sign an agreement with Israel because they suddenly realized the Jewish state has a genuine aspiration for peace. They continue looking for life insurance agents in the area. They do not trust the US, which zigzags depending on the politics of the president in the White House. They do not trust fellow Arabs because some of them want to go after the Hashemites while others have the Ayatollah and the Muslim Brotherhood at their throats. The Jordanians know that Israelis on the left and right recognize the importance of the Hashemite regime in Jordan. The know the Israelis understand that the Hashemite regime controls the longest and most critical border of Israel.

The Ayatollahs are targeting Jordan because they know that toppling the pro-American Hashemite regime, will deal a major blow to America’s posture of deterrence. The US is dedicated to preserving the pro-American Hashemite regime and its collapse will signal a major loss of American credibility in the Middle East and beyond. Toppling the Hashemite regime would allow Iran to encircle and engulf Israel with Lebanon and Syria in the north and Jordan in the east. Jordan also neighbors Saudi Arabia. It is Saudi’s northern border. Transforming Jordan into an arena for pro-Iranian, pro-ISIS, pro-Palestinian and pro-Muslim terrorist organizations would create a very threatening ripple effect into Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia would be sandwiched between terrorist Jordan in the north, Iraq and Iran in the east, and Yemen in the south.

I have not yet discussed the track record of the Iranian Ayatollahs in South and Central America. Since the early 1980s, they have collaborated there with Hezbollah terrorists. They have established terrorist camps in the tri-border areas of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil and in the tri-border areas of Chile and Bolivia and Peru. They are training terrorists to become active in Latin America and inside the USA. They are also dispatching terrorists from there to the Middle East. The Ayatollahs and Hezbollah are collaborating with every single drug cartel in Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Brazil. They are supplying the drug cartels with equipment to construct underground tunnels similar to the tunnels they helped construct in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. They are transforming drug cartels into highly fortified, potential terror entities. The Ayatollahs are also supplying the drug cartels in Venezuela with Iranian developed and manufactured predator unmanned aerial vehicles. Similar vehicles are being employed by Russia against Ukraine and by Hezbollah against Israel.

All of these activities are taking place very publicly and Iran is not concealing any of them. The US is following the diplomatic option to deal with this. Recently, Iran and Saudi Arabia supposedly resumed diplomatic ties. I underline supposedly here because we should pay attention to the fact that this is not the first time that Iran and Saudi Arabia have resumed and then broken diplomatic ties. In 1987, around 400 people were killed following the Shiite riots in Mecca during the hajj or the pilgrimage. This led to the Saudis severing diplomatic relations with Iran in 1988. In 2016, the Saudis executed Nimr al Nimr. Nimr al Nimr was a major Shiite leader in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. With the support of the Ayatollahs in Iran, he agitated the Shiite majority in that oil region of Saudi Arabia. He was subsequently tried and beheaded. The execution of Nimr al Nimr caused another rupture between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Obviously, Iranian support of the Houthis in Yemen also caused friction between the Saudis and Iranians. The Houthis targeted a large number of Saudi oil installations and Saudi civilian centers and the attacks fomented additional conflict between the two countries.

Now, once again, there is a resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, this time spurred by the Chinese. Do not be misled by this resumption of relations between the two countries. The Saudi Crown Prince is not. The Crown Prince is aware of what I would call one of the fundamental laws in human life. That law is that leopards do not change their spots, they only change tactics. The Iranian ideology has remained intact and the Saudis are well aware of that. By the way, that is the chief reason they established relatively close defense, agriculture and technology related ties with Israel.

The State Department, however, continues to embrace its alternate reality and to reject the reality of the Middle East. Since 1979, they have showered hundreds of billions of dollars on the Ayatollahs under the illusion this would induce them to accept peaceful coexistence with their Sunni Arab neighbors. They continue to operate under the assumption this will entice the Ayatollahs to become good faith negotiators and abandon their 1400-year-old fanatical ideology.

The posture of the State Department reminds me of an old country western song by George Strait. George Strait was one of the great country western singers of the 1980s and 1990s. In one of his hits, he asserts he has some ocean front property for sale in Arizona. He states that if you buy it, he will throw the Golden Gate bridge for free.

The State Department has pursued their diplomatic option in the Middle east for 45 years. I have no doubt they have never heard that song by George Strait, nor have they understood the lesson to be learned from it. They genuinely believe terrorism is driven by despair. This is secretary of State Tony Blinken’s personal ideology or worldview. This is the State Department establishment’s worldview. They believe that money talks in the same way it does in most circles in the West. They have not yet realized that there are entities and regimes in the Middle East where ideology transcends money. Under these regimes, ideology transcends by far, standard of living, enhancement of education and peaceful coexistence.

My final comment is drawn from my years in Texas and it is my advice to the West. Be wary of deadly coral snakes posing as harmless skipjack snakes. The West has been bitten by venomous snakes posing as harmless snakes too often. The Ayatollahs in Iran are the chief snake or the head of the octopus. They have arms stretching from the gulf to the US-Mexico border. If you want to resolve the Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah war, you had better start focusing on the chief snake based in Tehran, Iran.

Interviewer: Wonderful. Very comprehensive, Yoram. I have many questions of my own and there are some from the audience as well. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar are not liberal democracies. They are governed by repressive monarchies or autocracies. Could a Shiite minority, or even a Shiite majority in the case of Bahrain, be able to topple these regimes without the fear of massive retribution?

Yoram: We are not only talking about Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. We are talking about the entire Arab Middle East. Since the 7^th century, the Arab Middle East has never experienced democracy. Their regimes have ascended to power through the so-called bullet and not through the ballot. That has been the rule for the entire Middle East. The US does not face a choice between working with regimes that adhere to democracy, and working with regimes which do not adhere to democracy or human rights. The US has a choice between pro US regimes which do not adhere to democracy and violate human rights, and anti US regimes which do not adhere to democracy and violate human rights.

However, we should not overlook the potential for major and potentially game-changing developments. One such development is the change we are observing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is very different from the vast majority of Arab Muslim entities in the Middle East. The UAE is made up of ethnically cohesive emirates. This is exceptional in the Middle East. In every other Arab entity, tribal allegiance transcends national allegiance. This is not a problem in the UAE because every single emirate there is cohesive. We have seen major changes in the education system there. This is especially true as regards Jews and Israel. The UAE is the only Arab country which completely removed all negative or hate references to Jews and to the Jewish state from their educational materials. This change has resulted in enhanced UAE ties with the Jewish community across the world and with Israel, in particular.

Under the Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia has also taken very significant steps forward. I am aware of the West’s focus on the fate of Saudi journalists who dare criticize the Crown Prince. I am aware that Khashoggi disappeared after he was brutally executed by people in the Saudi embassy in Turkey. Of course, I am not exactly enamored with such methods. However, in the Middle East, the Crown Prince is a major force of moderation and reform. This is true when it comes to human rights and women rights and it is true when it comes to their attitude towards Jews and the Jewish state.

The Crown Prince has not yet gone as far as UAE in this regard for obvious reasons. He is not ruling a cohesive society. He has substantial elements of opposition within his own ruling family. Some 1500 princes have been under a flashy version of house arrest since he assumed power. He also has to contend with the Wahhabi opposition inside Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabi opposition is the fundamentalist, puritan element in Saudi Arabia. Its’ members are mostly situated in central and southwest Saudi Arabia. Until the Crown Prince became the effective ruler of Saudi Arabia, the Wahhabis were considered the only credible authority on Islam and on the Quran. The Crown Prince is the first Saudi leader ever to challenge the Wahhabis publicly. He told them that while he holds them in high esteem, theirs is not the only valid interpretation of the Quran and of Islam. He said he has a different interpretation which happens to be much more moderate and tolerant than the traditional Wahhabi one.

I think that each one of us should pray every single day for the safety and fortune of the Crown Prince. His continued success has the potential to turn the Middle East from 14 centuries of a volcanic, intolerant, violent, anti-infidel type reality to a much more moderate and accommodating reality. This has the potential to change the level of stability all over the world.

Bahrain has a Shiite majority which considers itself pressured and discriminated against. We should consider this in the context of 1400 years of violent arm wrestling between the Shiites and the Sunnis. The life of the ruling family in Bahrain is at risk every single day due to agitation of the Shiites in Bahrain supported by the Ayatollahs of Iran.

Interviewer: So, returning to discuss one of the many tentacles of the Iranian octopus, do you believe that this Sunday morning’s attack on Hezbollah has convinced Nasrallah not to enter into a full-scale war against Israel?

Yoram: The level of retaliation against Israel is not Hezbollah’s decision. Hezbollah is a proxy of the Ayatollahs and the decision is theirs. Without the Ayatollahs, Hezbollah would lose their stature. This is similar to Hamas, which is also a proxy of the Ayatollahs even though they are a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Hezbollah, Hamas, the Ayatollahs and the Palestinian Authority are all entities driven by a fanatical and well-entrenched ideology. As far as the Ayatollahs and Hamas and Hezbollah are concerned, their ideology mandates the toppling of all Sunni and other apostate regimes. As discussed, Hamas also has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood mandates the toppling of all national Islamic regimes. It requires the establishment of a global Islamic society. The Palestinian authority’s ideology mandates the elimination of the Jewish state.

All of the entities I mentioned are driven by a well-entrenched vision. This vision is reflected in their day-to-day life, education, worship and promotion of terror. Their vision mandates the elimination of the infidel Jewish state. Their vision is unattainable without the elimination of the Jewish state. That, by the way, sets them apart from every single Arab country. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and South Sudan would prefer to see a Middle East without a Jewish state. However, their own national visions are not based on the elimination of the Jewish state.

The Crown Prince has a vision for Saudi Arabia in 2030. That vision has nothing to do with the elimination of Israel. In fact, the Crown Prince needs Israel to achieve his vision of transforming Saudi Arabia into a major regional, global military and economic power. He views Israel as an ally that he needs in order to free himself of his energy reliant economy. He wants to diversify his economy and Israel, the startup nation, can be very useful in helping him achieve his goals. This is why we have seen growing collaboration between the Saudis and Israel over the past few years. The two countries are collaborating in the fields of technology, irrigation and agriculture.

Egypt has its own vision and it too does not depend on the elimination of Israel. Morocco is indebted to Israel for its intelligence and counter terrorism related assistance. These Arab countries have concluded peace treaties with Israel because the existence of a Jewish state does not conflict with their ideology and their underlying worldview.

As discussed, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, follow a vision which mandates the elimination of Israel. This vision came into being way before October 7^th. The Palestinian Authority is basically controlled by the PLO. The PLO was established in 1964, under a charter which requires the elimination of the Jewish state. The charter was written three years before 1967 and it required that Palestine become free of the Jewish state. This was three years before we reunited Jerusalem and before we returned to Judea and Samaria.

The PLO is dominated by Fatah. Fatah was established in 1959 via charter. Fatah’s charter requires Palestine to become free of Zionist rule. Their charter does not reference Judea, Samaria, Gaza, or Jerusalem. Since these are entities consumed by the elimination of Israel, it is not possible to negotiate with them in a constructive manner. The situation with Hezbollah is similar in that they follow the Ayatollah’s vision of eliminating all infidel and apostate regimes. We, along with the great American Satan, are one of those infidel regimes.

Interviewer: Yoram. Are the Saudis insisting on a Palestinian state before joining the Abraham accords or formalizing negotiations with Israel?

Yoram: We have heard the Saudi foreign minister talking about the need to establish a Palestinian state but we rarely hear the Crown Prince calling for the same. Saudi calls for a Palestinian state are obvious Saudi, or Arab, talk. The talk emphasizing the need for a Palestinian state, has been going on for decades. That is the talk. However, we should consider the walk of both the Saudis and of the other Arab countries. Their walk has been anywhere from indifferent to negative as regards the establishment of a Palestinian state. This is made obvious by the peace treaties concluded between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Bahrain, Israel and Morocco, and Israel and South Sudan. These agreements were backed by Saudi Arabia and were not preconditioned on the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Saudis do not have a peace accord with Israel but they have pretty close defense and commercial ties with the Jewish state. These ties were never preconditioned upon establishing a Palestinian state.

In November of 2023, about a month and a half after the eruption of the current Israel Hamas war, the Crown Prince hosted a joint summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Countries. During that joint summit, the Palestinians, Iranians and Algerians submitted a resolution calling for the immediate cessation of all diplomatic, defense, touristic financial ties with Israel. The resolution was resoundingly defeated by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and other non-Arab Muslim countries. The reason is very clear. These states do not pay attention to the talk.

This is different from the State Department and others in the US who are convinced by Palestinian talk. Mahmoud Abbas talks to American officials. He talks to the American media and to prominent US Jews. Mahmoud Abbas is a very smart person who knows how to express himself moderately in front of US audiences. That is the type of talk the Saudis could not care less about.

The Saudis focus on the walk, and the walk of the Palestinian leadership has been systematically catastrophic in the intra-Arab context. The Saudis are aware of Palestinian terrorism inside Egypt when they were hosted by then president Nasser in the 1950s. They are aware of Palestinian terrorism inside Syria when Syria provided them a platform from which to terrorize Israel. They are cognizant of Palestinian terrorism inside Jordan when Jordan allowed them to terrorize Israel from within its borders. They know that the Palestinians were hosted by Lebanon for twelve years before they plundered the country and caused a series of civil wars. The Saudis are also well aware that the Palestinians collaborated with Saddam Hussein’s during the invasion of Kuwait in August of 1990. They know that Kuwait, at that time, was the most generous Arab host of Palestinians. It absorbed 400,000 Palestinians and allowed them to rise to the most prominent positions in the area of business and administration. Once the Kuwaiti leadership was restored to power by the Americans after the first Gulf War of January 1991, the Kuwaitis expelled almost all 400,000 Palestinians from Kuwait.

The Saudis, the Egyptians, the Jordanians, the Emiratis and the rest of the Arabs are aware of what the Palestinians are culpable for in the intra-Arab arena. They also are aware that the Palestinians have traditionally collaborated with anti-western entities such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet bloc. They know the Palestinians are collaborating with Ayatollah Khomeini and with North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba and they are training international terrorists. The Saudis know a Palestinian state, it would be a death sentence for the Hashemite regime in Jordan and it could doom them eventually. Therefore, unlike Foggy Bottom and unlike the State Department, they do not pay much attention to moderate talk from Palestinians. They pay attention to the Palestinian inter-Arab walk.

Interviewer: Wonderful. Thank you so much. I am afraid our time is up. I have so many more questions to ask you, as does our audience. We will be delighted to have you back again soon. Again, thank you so much, Ambassador Yoram Ettinger. To our audience, if you like what you hear, please be sure to support us at https://emetonline.org/. Thank you so much, Yoram. Bye-bye now.

Yoram: Thank you very much.