Crown Prince Abdullah’s initiative provoked widespread surprise, not because the idea is so startlingly new, but because of its source and timing.  A proposal for “full normalization” with Israel coming from an Islamic regime that bases its legitimacy on the austere Islamic doctrines of the Wahhabi seems both peculiar and progressive.  But Saudi Arabia’s long-cultivated image of stability, benevolence, and mystical communal harmony has given way under the endless glare of the American press.  Its educational system, too, is increasingly portrayed as a breeding ground for hatred of the West.  Something had to give.
Proposer une "normalisation complète" des relations avec Israël semble à la fois étrange et progressiste de la part d'un régime islamique qui fonde sa légitimité sur l'observation d'une doctrine islamique austère, le wahhabisme. Mais l'image longtemps cultivée de l'Arabie saoudite quant à sa stabilité, sa bienveillance et sa mystérieuse harmonie communautaire, cède aujourd'hui sous le regard scrutateur des médias américains.