How global power works. The flow of money, tech, and diplomacy matters

Citizens need to watch not just what leaders say, but what they fund, build, or allow.

The Quiet Deals Beneath the Rubble: How Israel’s War Is Funded from the Gulf

Most people think of war in images: rubble, smoke, air raids, civilian suffering. What they don't often see is what funds those bombs or who fuels the jets that drop them. Behind the Gaza crisis lies a story that’s less visible but just as important—a story about business deals, shared airspace, military partnerships, and quiet diplomacy. A story where Arab governments are not just bystanders, but enablers.

This isn’t a story built on rumors. It’s a story rooted in facts, financial reports, verified air traffic, corporate filings, and public contracts. It’s also a story that asks uncomfortable questions about loyalty, sovereignty, and whether rulers are really acting on behalf of their people.

Axis of Resistance vs. Axis of Assistance

For decades, the political language of the Middle East has been defined by the Palestinian cause. But in practice, the actions of many Arab governments show a different reality.

While Israel bombards Gaza, much of its support infrastructure flows through Arab soil, Arab skies, and Arab money. Take Qatar, for instance. It hosts Al Udeid, the largest U.S. military base in the region. From this base,

U.S. aircraft reportedly refueled Israeli jets and delivered munitions to Israeli airfields. These operations may be coordinated by the U.S., but they depend on Qatar’s permission. The same applies to Kuwait, where similar U.S.-Israeli weapons transfers were tracked by open-source investigators. Meanwhile, Egypt has long played a key role in the Gaza blockade.

Rafah—the crossing from Gaza into Egypt—is heavily restricted. Reports reveal Egyptians charging Palestinians thousands of dollars to flee war. All while Egypt is receiving billions in U.S. military aid. Jordan, a U.S. ally with a peace treaty with Israel, shot down Iranian drones trying to reach Israel and reportedly intercepted other arms transfers. These aren't isolated actions; they are systemic alignments.

Follow the Money: From Riyadh to Tel Aviv

Jared Kushner, son-in-law to Donald Trump, now runs an investment firm called Affinity Partners. It received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia. The fund bought stakes in Israeli firms, including Phoenix Holdings—a major investor in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. Saudi money is funding the weapons used by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank.

That’s not all. The UAE’s state-owned EDGE Group bought 30% of Thirdeye Systems, an Israeli surveillance drone company used in operations near Gaza. They’ve also signed joint ventures with Israel Aerospace Industries. Meanwhile, UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala owns a chunk of the Tamar gas field, which powers Israel’s economy and military.

Even Turkey—a vocal supporter of Palestinians—hasn’t escaped criticism. One of its conglomerates held shares in Dorad Energy, a major Israeli power supplier. Reports allege Erdogan’s son was involved in backchannel shipping with Israel. Trade data shows Turkish goods arriving in Israeli ports, even during escalations.

Surveillance Tech: Made in Israel, Used on Arabs

NSO Group. Cellebrite. Candiru. These names don’t ring bells for most people, but they build the software used to hack phones, track dissidents, and dismantle opposition. Who uses them? Saudi Arabia. UAE. Indonesia. Pakistan. These governments didn’t just buy Israeli tech. They outsourced core intelligence operations to Israeli companies—some staffed by Unit 8200, Israel's elite cyberwarfare division. In some cases, these tools have been used against their own people.

The Double Betrayal

All of this creates a double betrayal. The first is political: Arab governments claim to support Palestine but work directly or indirectly with Israel. The second is moral: they fund, supply, and sometimes train with the very military forces attacking civilians they say they support. The average citizen in these countries has no say in these deals. Many are horrified by what is happening in Gaza. They protest. They speak out. But they are ruled by elites who make deals in closed rooms.

Even Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist, took a boat to break the naval blockade and bring flour to Gaza.

Arab rulers?

Not one ship.

Not one battalion.

Not one act of real solidarity.

---

Lessons, Biases, Mistakes:

Lessons Learned:

This isn’t just about Gaza. It’s about how global power works. The flow of money, tech, and diplomacy matters as much as tanks and drones. Citizens need to watch not just what leaders say, but what they fund, build, or allow.

Footnote – Bias Examination:

This analysis centers on a critical view of Arab government actions during the Gaza conflict. The framing emphasizes betrayal, which may reflect activist or populist bias. While the facts are verified, interpretations of intent (e.g., betrayal vs. strategy) may differ.

Footnote – Mistake Examination:

All factual claims were verified using public data, corporate filings, and reputable news reports. However, some links (e.g., Turkish citizens joining the IDF or Erdogan's son trading with Israel) are hard to independently confirm and may be exaggerated or speculative.

These are in the longer analysis.

Sources:

1. Reuters, Haaretz, The Guardian, BBC, Wall Street Journal

2. Calcalist (Israel), The Intercept, Al Jazeera Investigations

3. Congressional testimony, SEC filings

4. Amnesty International, Citizen Lab, AccessNow (on spyware)

5. Airwars, Flightradar24, NGO flight tracking tools

6. UN Reports on Gaza, Human Rights Watch, B'Tselem

7. Public investment disclosures from UAE, KSA, Turkey

---

Want to see who profits from war? Don’t just look at soldiers. Look at the bankers, brokers, and politicians behind them.

---

---

Arab–Israeli Collaboration in the Gaza Conflict:

Fact-Check and Analysis was done with ChatGpt.

Military and Intelligence Claims

Refueling and airspace: Reports that Israel relied on Gulf overflight and refueling (e.g. at Qatar’s Al- Udeid base) to strike Iran are partly true in context. U.S. tankers at Al-Udeid have indeed refueled Israeli jets as part of joint exercises .

Open-source footage and reporting show Israeli fighters refueling over northeastern Syria before returning from a strike on Iran . While Qatar’s base and Syrian airspace were used, the claim that fighters “launched from Al-Udeid” is misleading – Israeli jets have not been based in Qatar.

Flight-tracking data confirm U.S. military cargo and tanker flights to Israel via Al- Udeid. U.S. and allied aircraft have delivered munitions from U.S. bases (including Al-Udeid in Qatar, and reportedly Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem) to Israel.

Kuwait officially denied any weapons transfers, though open-source tracking showed at least one U.S. C‐130 flight path from Kuwait to Israel.

Egypt’s role: Egypt has long cooperated with Israel on Gaza’s blockade. Media investigations document that Egypt tightly controls the Rafah border and even charges Gazans exorbitant fees (up to $5,000 per adult) to cross.

Analysts note Cairo destroyed thousands of smuggling tunnels and has assisted Israel’s blockade since Hamas took Gaza in 2007. In 2024 Egypt publicly staged border protests and even exchanged fire with Israel’s forces at Rafah, but these were exceptional.

Overall, Egypt’s security cooperation with Israel (tied to the Sinai insurgency and Gaza blockade) has been extensive, contrary to claims of overt betrayal.

On naval matters, Egypt did allow an Israeli navy vessel to transit the Suez Canal (sparking domestic outcry).

Jordan’s role: The King of Jordan has publicly denounced Israeli actions, but Jordan has also cooperated on security. Jordanian air defenses shot down Iranian drones bound for Israel in late October 2023.

Jordanian authorities have repeatedly foiled weapons-smuggling plots connected to Iran-affiliated militants, including arrests of cells allegedly planning attacks or funneling arms to the West Bank.

Notably, assertions of a “land bridge” through Jordan to supply Israel are unsubstantiated – Jordanian officials have denied any such channel.

Rumors that Jordan is escorting arms from Yemen or that it covertly hands Palestinian fighters to Israeli intelligence have no credible evidence.

Other states: There is no evidence Turkey “trained Israeli pilots to bomb Palestinians” in 2024. Relations with Israel have fluctuated, but reported claims (e.g. 4,000 Turkish citizens fighting in the Israeli military) are baseless.

It is true that Turkey’s Zorlu group (associated with a friend of Erdogan) owned 25% of Dorad Energy, an Israeli power firm supplying some military bases. This reflects past business ties – Turkey cut most formal defence links with Israel after 2010.

Yemen’s Houthi forces have attacked Israeli shipping (e.g. strikes on vessels near Haifa), but these are independent operations against Israel, not evidence of collaboration by Arab governments.

Financial and Investment Networks Gulf sovereign funds and investors have made public forays into Israeli companies, though not as described in the allegations.

Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners (backed by roughly $2 billion from Saudi Arabia and $1.5 billion from Qatar and UAE funds) has bought stakes in Israeli businesses.

In 2024 Affinity acquired about 15% of Shlomo Group’s automotive/credit subsidiary for $110 million (Shlomo Group is a car-leasing and logistics conglomerate, not a “shipbuilder” as claimed).

Affinity also took a roughly 9.9% stake in Phoenix Holdings’ insurance/finance arm .

Phoenix Holdings in turn owns about 2.2 million shares of Elbit Systems (≈4.99% of that defense firm), making Phoenix one of Elbit’s largest institutional shareholders.

These links mean Gulf cash entered Israel’s defense sector indirectly (through Phoenix’s Elbit stake).

However, claims that Phoenix “ensures” settlement-building or directly sponsors military units are unsupported – Phoenix is an insurance/investment company with diversified holdings.

The UAE has deepening defense-commercial ties with Israel. Abu Dhabi’s state-owned EDGE Group invested $10 million to acquire a 30% stake in Thirdeye Systems, an Israeli drone-surveillance company.

EDGE also signed a 2021 partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries to co-develop counter-drone tech.

Abu Dhabi’s G42 conglomerate (led by a security advisor to the UAE) owns roughly 30% of Thirdeye and has a joint venture with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (Israel’s state arms firm).

Meanwhile, Mubadala Energy (a UAE sovereign fund) owns an 11% share of Israel’s Tamar offshore gas field.

The Tamar field supplies about 40% of Israel’s gas needs. Separately, Turkey’s Zorlu Holding (headed by Ahmet Zorlu) held 25% of Dorad Energy 16 , tying an Erdogan associate to Israel’s domestic power supply.

These financial links form a network of investments flowing between Gulf states and Israeli firms.

In sum, while there is a pipeline of Gulf capital into certain Israeli companies (via Kushner’s fund, EDGE, Mubadala, etc.), claims of direct “covert ownership” or that these firms control Israeli operations are exaggerated.

For example, Affinity’s Shlomo stake is minority ownership and Phoenix’s 4.99% of Elbit, though large, is still a minority holding.

Role of Western Actors (U.S. and Gulf Allies)

The United States has actively supported Israel through its bases and defense industry. U.S. Central Command’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar has served as a logistics hub for arms shipments to Israel.

Defense-industry tracking confirms dozens of U.S. Air Force and contracted cargo flights from Al Udeid (and U.S. bases in the United States and Italy) delivering weapons to Israel’s Nevatim Airbase.

Some publicly reported flights from U.S. bases in Kuwait have been suspected of carrying arms to Israel, though Kuwaiti authorities denied any weapons transfer.

These flows (unprecedented in peacetime) underscore the U.S. alliance with Israel but are not evidence of collusion by Qatar or Kuwait, which host U.S. bases.

Gulf governments also sought U.S. and Israeli partnerships for their own security. Major Gulf funds have invested in Israeli tech partly as part of a broader U.S.-brokered normalization strategy.

Affinity Partners (led by former U.S. official Jared Kushner) was created after the Abraham Accords to channel Gulf investment into Israel .

Congressional investigators note Saudi and Gulf contributions to Affinity (around $2–3 billion total).

The U.S. government tacitly supports these deals: Kushner pitched Affinity as a “corridor” for Gulf capital into Israel.

Normalization of Relations

Contrary to claims of secret collusion, several Muslim-majority states have openly normalized with Israel.

The Abraham Accords (2020–2021) brought formal ties between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

The UAE–Israel relationship quickly expanded into tourism, trade, finance and defense cooperation.

Official statements highlight that normalization has “enabled economic exchanges and strategic opportunities for defense cooperation”.

The Gulf states’ interactions with Israel are now in the open: Emirati defense firms work jointly with Israel Aerospace and Elbit on UAVs and missiles.

Egypt and Jordan retain formal peace treaties (1979 and 1994, respectively) and have engaged on security issues. Even without treaties, Oman has held high-level meetings with Israel and Pakistan has invited Israeli specialists in the past.

These developments reflect a regional policy shift (often U.S.-encouraged) towards integrating Israel into a broader security architecture. Despite the rhetoric of betrayal, these ties are part of acknowledged, state-level diplomacy.

Where Gulf rulers maintain support for the Palestinian cause, they have also pursued pragmatic relations with Israel. For example, Saudi Arabia (so far) has not officially recognized Israel, but in late 2023 it hosted international meetings on Gaza reconstruction involving Israeli and Palestinian figures.

In sum, “normalization” is by now a declared policy for some Arab states, not a hidden secret. The evidence (joint ventures, trade missions, military agreements) is documented in mainstream sources.

Security Technology Transfers (NSO Group, Cellebrite, etc.) Several Muslim-majority states have indeed acquired Israeli surveillance technology, but this is not unique to any “axis” and is often publicly reported.

Saudi Arabia has used the Israeli firm Cellebrite’s phone-hacking tools – for example, a Cellebrite agent flew to Riyadh in 2019 to assist Saudi intelligence in extracting data from a mobile phone.

Reports also implicate NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware in Saudi operations (e.g. the Khashoggi case).

In Pakistan, Israeli forensic tools (Cellebrite’s UFED) have been sold to law-enforcement and intelligence agencies since at least 2012.

Amnesty International and media have confirmed that Indonesia’s security agencies imported multiple Israeli spyware products (NSO’s Pegasus, Candiru’s Predator, and others) from 2017 onward.

These sales were often arranged through intermediaries, but the technology is in use, as documented by cybersecurity investigators.

It is true that states like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia buy advanced Western and Israeli tech for counterterrorism and intelligence.

However, no evidence suggests these tools are used specifically to advance Israeli policy; they are typically used by those governments for their own purposes (often against dissidents).

Geopolitical Implications

The verified collaborations – diplomatic, military, commercial – reshape Middle East geopolitics. First, they underscore a deepening Arab–Israeli security alignment (especially U.S.-led) against perceived common threats (e.g. Iran).

U.S. strategy encourages this integration (CENTCOM expansion, regional defense pacts). Second, they further polarize the region. While regimes tighten military ties with Israel (publicly or secretly), popular opinion in many Arab countries remains pro-Palestinian.

Analysts observe that Arab governments have responded to Gaza mostly with words and limited aid, leaving “the heavy lifting” to non-state militias aligned with Iran.

This creates a mismatch between rulers and publics. Third, these connections raise the stakes of any future conflict: e.g. if Israel’s war expands, some Arab states may feel directly implicated.

In practice, however, most Arab states have thus far avoided direct confrontation and largely supported ceasefires, even as they deepen defense cooperation with Israel behind the scenes.

Ethical and Moral Dimensions Among affected populations, the revelations of Arab rulers’ ties to Israel have provoked anger and feelings of betrayal. Palestinians and broader Arab publics generally view Israel as an occupier and have overwhelmingly supported Gaza’s plight.

When leaders are seen buying Israeli weapons or making deals with Israel, many citizens see it as a moral failure. Public opinion surveys consistently show majorities in the Muslim world oppose arming or normalizing with Israel during the Gaza crisis.

The dissonance – “rulers of the Muslim world have vast armies” yet supply none to Gaza while Iran-backed militias fight on – is stark.

As one analyst put it, Arab regimes “risk being badly beaten if they fight [Israel]...and they risk domestic turbulence if they remain silent”.

In short, these collaborations fuel narratives of complicity. Human-rights groups also point out a double standard: Gulf regimes justify repression and spying (with Israeli tech) at home, yet claim solidarity with Palestinians abroad.

Trust, Sovereignty, and Institutional Impact

The broader implication is a crisis of credibility in many Arab governments. When states rely on Israeli technology for intelligence or allow foreign bases to operate on their soil, questions arise about independence.

Experts warn that the import of powerful surveillance tools can be turned inward: Gulf states’ purchase of Israeli cybertools (for counterterrorism) has indeed “opened the door to human-rights abuses” such as tracking dissidents.

This intertwining of military and intelligence networks means that, even absent formal alliance, a covert reliance on Israeli hardware and software introduces potential leverage.

For example, if a Muslim-majority state uses Israeli spyware or is integrated into shared defense systems, an adversary might worry about backdoors or information flow to Israeli or U.S. partners.

In practice, Gulf monarchies balance these risks against perceived security gains.

But the disclosures have unsettled many citizens and observers: it raises the question of how “sovereign” a government remains if its top brass regularly coordinate with (and in some cases fund) the very state attacking Palestinian civilians.

Ultimately, the saga highlights the tension between security calculus and public accountability.

---

Sources:

Each assertion above is grounded in public reporting and official data. For example, military flights from U.S. bases to Israel have been documented in Haaretz and NGO reports ; Gulf investments via Affinity are reported by Reuters and Calcalist ; and spyware exports to Saudi, Pakistan, Indonesia are confirmed by media investigations.

We have highlighted reputable studies and news accounts for every point to ensure a fact-based analysis.

---

Enduring Lightning III exercise brings together US, Israeli air forces > Air Force > Article Display

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2381544/enduring-lightning-iii-exercise-brings-together-us-israeli-air-forces/

Caught on camera: Israeli fighter jet refuels mid-air over Syria; likely on way back after Iran strike -Times of India

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/caught-on-camera-israeli-jet-refuels-mid-air-over-syria-likely-on-way-back-after-iran-strike/articleshow/121831448.cms

Strike against Iran: Why the fall of Syria's Bashar al-Assad was decisive for Israel's attack | blue News

https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/international/why-the-fall-of-syrias-bashar-al-assad-was-decisive-for-israels-attack-2737741.html

Companies Profiting from the Gaza Genocide | American Friends Service Committee

https://afsc.org/gaza-genocide-companies

Kuwait army denies that US transferred weapons to Israel from one of its bases – Middle East Monitor

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241022-kuwait-army-denies-that-us-transferred-weapons-to-israel-from-one-of-its-bases/

Palestinians fleeing Gaza for Egypt pay thousands to Egyptian broker : NPR

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/02/1234439113/palestinians-leave-gaza-egypt-hala

The Gaza War Is Eroding Egypt-Israel Relations | The Washington Institute

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/gaza-war-eroding-egypt-israel-relations

Outrage over Israeli warship passing through the Suez Canal | Israel-Palestine conflict | Al Jazeera

https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/11/3/outrage-over-israeli-warship-passing-through-the-suez-canal

Jordan airforce shoots down Iranian drones flying over to Israel | Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordans-air-defence-ready-shoot-down-any-iranian-aircraft-that-violate-its-2024-04-13/

Jordan says it thwarts plot that threatened national security | News | Al Jazeera

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/15/jordan-says-it-thwarts-plot-that-threatened-national-security

Israeli lies about a ‘land bridge’ to the Gulf show the Yemeni blockade is working – Mondoweiss

https://mondoweiss.net/2024/02/israeli-lies-about-a-land-bridge-to-the-gulf-show-the-yemeni-blockade-is-working/

Turkish Nationals Fighting for Israel to Face Extensive Legal Repercussions - Middle East Forum

https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/turkish-nationals-fighting-for-israel-to-face-extensive-legal-repercussions

Erdoğan crony owns 25 pct of Israeli power plant supplying IDF: report - Turkish Minute

https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/08/09/erdogan-crony-own-25-pct-israeli-power-plant-supplying-idf-report/

Kushner's Affinity's assets jump to $4.8 billion after Gulf cash injection | Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/kushners-affinitys-assets-jump-48-billion-after-gulf-cash-injection-2025-03-28/

Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners investing $110M to acquire 15% of Shlomo Group's au | Ctech

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hys3sau5a

Centerbridge Partners and Gallatin Point Have Successfully Executed Agreements for the Sale of up to 21.5% of Phoenix Holdings to Investment Firms Such as Affinity Partners, Delek Group and Other Leading International Institutional Investors

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240716054367/en/Centerbridge-Partners-and-Gallatin-Point-Have-Successfully-Executed-Agreements-for-the-Sale-of-up-to-21.5-of-Phoenix-Holdings-to-Investment-Firms-Such-as-Affinity-Partners-Delek-Group-and-Other-Leading-International-Institutional-Investor

sec.gov

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1027664/000117891323000175/zk2329023.htm

Who Profits - The Israeli Occupation Industry - Phoenix Financial

https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/7348?the-phoenix-holdings

UAE’s EDGE Acquires Stake in Israeli Firm To Boost Drone Detection Technology - The Media Line

https://themedialine.org/headlines/uaes-edge-acquires-stake-in-israeli-firm-to-boost-drone-detection-technology/

Israel - Mubadala Energy

https://mubadalaenergy.com/portfolio/israel/

Turkey earns $1.27 a barrel from pipeline that supplies much of Israel’s crude oil - Turkish Minute

https://turkishminute.com/2024/11/15/turkey-earn-1-27-a-barrel-from-pipeline-that-supplies-much-of-israels-crude-oil/

The Abraham Accords and Israel–UAE normalization | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2023/03/abraham-accords-and-israel-uae-normalization

Saudi Arabia hired Israeli firm Cellebrite to hack phones

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/saudi-arabia-hired-israeli-firm-cellebrite-to-hack-phones-39832

Pak Probe Agency Using Israel's Intrusive Cyber Tech Since 2012: Report

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pak-probe-agency-using-israels-intrusive-cyber-tech-since-2012-report-4265508

Israeli firms sold invasive surveillance tech to Indonesia: Report | Cybersecurity News | Al Jazeera

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/3/israeli-firms-sold-invasive-surveillance-tech-to-indonesia-report

Arab States Have Supported and Shunned Hamas in the Gaza War

https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/arab-states-have-supported-and-shunned-hamas-in-the-gaza-war/

Gulf Cyber Cooperation with Israel: Balancing Threats and Rights | The Washington Institute

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/gulf-cyber-cooperation-israel-balancing-threats-and-rights

//Peace