David Hurst: For the first time, Arabs engage in war to defend Israel

According to David Hurst, a British journalist and editor of the Middle East Eye website, the recent attack by Iran on Israel revealed for the first time that the Arab armies were fighting alongside Israel.

Hurst, in an article on the Middle East Eye website, pointed out that Israeli security sources made a critical mistake by publicly admitting their collaboration with the Jordanian Air Force. This collaboration enabled the Jordanian military to intercept and destroy Iranian drones and cruise missiles.

Following Iran's missile and drone attack, Israeli sources proudly announced that the missiles aimed at Jerusalem were successfully intercepted, with some being taken down in the Jordan Valley and others near the borders of Syria with Jordan and Israel.

Hurst further elaborated by stating, "Israel's intention in conveying this message was to emphasize that it has regional allies prepared to defend it, even though this fact was already apparent and did not require explicit mention."

However, in criticizing Israel's actions, he remarked that if Israel aims to support the fragile monarchy, particularly in light of the volatile Jordanian public opinion, which is eager to confront the shared borders of Jordan and Israel and challenge the regime, then this strategy is deemed unwise.

He elaborated by stating that Jordan is currently divided into two factions: one comprising the citizens of the country who fervently back the Palestinian cause and the Palestinians, and the other led by King Hussein, who maintains economic, intelligence, and security collaborations with Israel.

Hurst criticized the decision of the Jordanian army, known as the "Arab Army," to position itself on the shared borders between Jordan and Israel during Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel, describing it as a big mistake in supporting the regime.

Highlighting the disparity between Jordan's public sentiments and official stances, he noted, "During the period when the Jordanian army was positioned on the shared borders with Israel to protect the regime, and the Jordanian air defense was engaged in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, the Jordanian populace, including Palestinians and Jordanians residing in the East Bank, applauded and cheered for the Iranian missiles and drones, expressing a desire for them to strike their intended targets in Israel."

Hurst pointed out, "Throughout the years, Israel has demonstrated a pattern of forming relationships solely with Arab nations that disregard the desires of their populace and impose corrupt governance upon them. While Jordan's actions may yield immediate benefits for Israel, in the long run, they are likely to lead to big challenges along the shared borders between the two countries."

Hurst concluded by suggesting that while Israel may take pride in having genuine allies in the region, this approach greatly undermines the credibility of its allies and ultimately harms their interests.

In addition to Jordan, other countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also took part in countering Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel. A Hebrew channel disclosed that a reliable source within the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia confirmed Riyadh's involvement in preventing Iran's attack on Israeli targets.

The Israeli Kan TV channel reported, "Saudi Arabia played a role in neutralizing the Iranian drones that were launched towards Israel," citing an unnamed Saudi source.

The Saudi official highlighted that Saudi airspace is equipped to automatically intercept any "suspicious object" in its skies. He also emphasized that Saudi Arabia, as a nation that supports terrorism, made efforts to intercept and destroy the Iranian missiles and drones that could have given a sigh of relief to the oppressed Palestinians by attacking the targets of oppressing regime of Israel.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Saudi Arabia and the UAE assisted Israel in its defense against Iran's attack by granting access to their airspace for Israeli and American aircraft.

The Wall Street Journal also noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE shared vital security and strategic intelligence with Israel about the Iranian attack.

The attack on Israel, which involved suicide drones and ballistic missiles, was reportedly launched in retaliation for the bombing of Iran's consulate in Damascus by Israel.