
Saudi and Israel – It's Complicated
From American Diplomat by Ambassador (Retired) Pete Romero and Writer/Producer Laura Bennett
March 26, 2026 · 52 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the evolving relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel, highlighting women's rights in Saudi Arabia and the complexities of the Middle East conflict.
In Saudi Arabia women now drive, work and travel as they please, and the country has moved toward normalizing relations with Israel. Amb. Michael Ratney tells of change in Saudi and shares stories of Israel, where the only way forward is for all of us – Israelis, Palestinians and everyone – to humanize each other. Does the present war boil down to Iran against everybody in this intensely multifaceted part of the world? And what will Saudi do?
People in this episode
Hosts: Ambassador (Retired) Pete Romero, Writer/Producer Laura Bennett
Guest: Amb. Michael Ratney
Topics covered
- Saudi Arabia
- Israel
- women's rights
- normalization of relations
- Middle East conflict
- humanization
- Iran
Keywords
- Saudi Arabia
- Israel
- women driving
- normalization
- Middle East
- Iran
- Palestinians
- humanization
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Palestinians
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