WHY GULF STATES ARE SO SENSITIVE TO LEAKS OF ISRAELI DIPLOMACY
📌 OPENING – THE WEIGHT OF SECRECY In Western capitals, leaks are an expected nuisance. A diplomat speaks too candidly. A memo is left on a desk. A reporter cultivates a source. Officials shrug. The machine grinds on. In the Gulf, leaks are catastrophic. Not because the information is necessarily more sensitive — though it often is. But because the entire framework of Gulf diplomacy depends on confidentiality. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait operate in a dangerous neighborhood. Iran is across the water. Extremist groups surround them. Their populations are not always supportive of their foreign policy choices. If a leak reveals that Gulf leaders have been meeting with Israeli officials — especially when the Gaza war is killing Palestinians — the domestic backlash could be severe. Public anger could destabilize regimes. Economic investments could be jeopardized. Regional enemies could exploit the division. This is why the UAE's fury at Netanyahu is not "diplomati...