There is a sense of déjà vu in the sudden flurry of Western leaders racing around the Middle East.
Just as the then-UK PM Tony Blair shuttled from capital to capital in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the US in 2001, this week sees leaders of the US, UK and Germany rushing to the region to both show their support for Israel and try to prevent the conflict from spreading.
While the UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is being sent to Egypt, Turkey and Qatar – all countries that may have some influence with Hamas – Rishi Sunak is visiting Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The latter is significant. As the big, regional heavyweight in the Arab world, with its vast oil reserves and sovereign wealth fund approaching a trillion dollars, Saudi Arabia matters.
Two weeks ago it was well on the way to normalising ties with Israel. Those talks have been suspended as the Saudis voice their support for the Palestinian cause and watch nervously as angry protests break out across the region.
Britain counts Saudi Arabia as an important ally, despite the alleged role of its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
He was due to visit the UK this month but No 10 said today that no date had yet been fixed.
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