Comment by esjeon
2 years ago
AFAIK, US cannot just "sit out", because the Israel-Palestine conflict can negatively impact the US-Saudi relationship. Even though Saudi shares some common interests with Israel (i.e. Iran), it simply can't look away from the sufferings of Muslims in Palestine, given its role as a major power in the Islamic world.
Also, if Israel takes the control of the Gaza Strip, a lot of refugees will spread in the region, creating more tension in the long-term. I deem this more sensitive than the religious strife, because it can leave concrete, direct, and explicit marks on the neighboring societies.
I think the best scenario for US is that Israel eventually stands down and falls back to the pre-war state - that is, no Israel control over the Palestinian territories. Israel won't have much choice here.
> the US-Saudi relationship.
Less of an issue than it used to be. The US is now a net oil exporter.[1]
[1] https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-produc...
It's not about oil, but about the geopolitics and the American strategy against China and Russia. It's a very complex topic, so it would be quicker for you to just read the fact sheet from the US government: https://www.state.gov/united-states-saudi-arabia-relationshi...