THE (SAUDI) KINGDOM WON'T SIGN A PEACE AGREEMENT with Israel, but it WILL keep to the Egypt-Israel pact for the sake of two islands.
In a deal between Egypt and the kingdom, Egypt surrendered two islands to its "across the gulf" neighbor, Saudi Arabia, the "kingdom."
ACORDING TO A NUMBER of reports from Israel, Israel was informed of, and is on board with, the swap of flags over two islands at the confluence of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez (merging to become the Red Sea).
The reports ALSO stated that the Saudis will honor the terms of the Egypt-Israel agreement. This basically means that Israel-flagged ships, such a ZIM freighters, will continue to pass the two islands - Sanafir and Tiran - at the southern end of the Gulf of Aqaba unmolested.
Some reports, notably Arutz Sheva/Israel National News would have readers believe that the islands were off the coast of Eilat. The islands are, according to Google Maps, 134.5 miles (167.93 km) from Eilat, hardly "off the coast." (As with U.S. "journalists," facts are a minor inconvenience to be overlooked.)
According to the Arutz 7 article, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Egyptian editors in comments published Monday that Cairo would not cooperate with Israel following the transfer, and that there will be no coordination between the sides. However, he made clear that Saudi Arabia "will honor all of Egypt's legal and international commitments in regard to the two islands."
I suspect that "Cairo would not cooperate with Israel" regarding the two islands" not that the island swap would prevent continued Cairo-Jerusalem communicatons.
Saudi Arabia has also promised not to use the islands for military purposes, the Egyptian daily Al Ahram reported.
For years Israel's neighbors, including the PA and Hamas-in-Gaza, have quietly been doing business with the "Zionist occupiers." Israeli-made air conditioners and refrigerators have been popular in the kingdom for decades. The fact the products are made in Israel loses out to pragmatism and reliability.
Still, the kingdom has, by the backdoor, made a perhaps politically awkward peace with Israel by agreeing to maintain the status quo of the islands.
