Why the Israeli Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia is historic

A visit abroad has already caused much ink to flow this week: that of the Israeli Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia.

Benjamin Netanyahu met the Crown Prince of the Kingdom, Mohamed Bin Salman, on Monday.

It is historic, and far from being anecdotal.

MBS's dream: to strengthen Saudi Arabia against Iran

It is even a real strategic reversal on the part of Saudi Arabia ... Or more exactly on the part of its crown prince, the bubbling Mohammed Ben Salman, better known by his initials "MBS".

Capable of the best - such as granting women a draft of the right to vote or the authorization to drive a car without necessarily being accompanied by a man - but also of the worst - such as ordering the henchmen of his secret services to assassinate an opponent , Jamal Khashoggi, in the premises of his consulate, in Turkey, then to have him cut into pieces and throw in a well.

Because in fact the dream of MBS, it is to transform his kingdom into a regional power capable of making room for Iran, which is at the same time its neighbor and its sworn enemy.

And that whatever the price to pay: as such, forging a reverse alliance with Israel is therefore a completely pragmatic option and perfectly acceptable to the young prince.

Especially since beyond the military contribution - far from being negligible - the Hebrew State could eventually become an economic and technological partner of the first order to modernize the Kingdom.

Why Riyadh denies the visit 

But "MBS" is not yet fully in control.

And this explains the somewhat embarrassed communication from the palace, which denied the meeting when it was made public on Monday by the Israeli press.

Because nominally, it is obviously King Salman, father of "MBS", who remains the reigning monarch, guardian of the holy places.

And he does not want to go down in history like the king who sold Jerusalem and betrays the Arab peace plan drawn up by the Saudis and which conditions the recognition of Israel on the creation of a Palestinian state.

"MBS", what worries him, is the departure of Donald Trump, his most fervent support.

And the arrival at the White House of a Joe Biden who has always declared himself horrified by the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.

A rapprochement with Israel before the inauguration of the new president is for MBS a question of political survival.

Because he thus hopes to attract the good graces of the American Congress.

And above all, to definitively cement the anti-Iranian alliance wanted by Donald Trump.

With at this stage, alongside Israel and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.