[News] What are the differences between Sunnis and Shiites that are in the background of the conflicts in the Middle East

[TheKnight.]

 

 

 

 

It is the great division of the Muslim world: Sunnis and Shiites.

 

Despite the fact that the countries with an Islamic majority have given their support to the Palestinian cause in the context of the current war between Israel and Hamas, the traditional political and religious tensions in the Middle East remain in force and mark the positions of the various actors.

 

For many analysts, the differences between the two branches of Islam are a clear reminder of the complexity of relations between the two main rivals in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and Iran.

 

Both countries are engaged in a fierce struggle for regional dominance and this decades-old dispute is aggravated by religious division.

 

Their confrontation is also reflected in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip.

 

Many analysts believe that one of the objectives of the Palestinian armed group's surprise attack on Israel on October 7 was to derail negotiations for a normalization of relations between that country and Saudi Arabia.

 

The reason? Such an understanding would allow for an alliance between three of Tehran's main adversaries: Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States (which has acted as a promoter of the agreement).

 

In the Sunni-Shiite divide, Hamas is an outlier because it is a Sunni group that has been an ally of Iran for decades, providing it with financial and military support.

 

In fact, since the beginning of the ongoing war, the other actors in the Middle East that have carried out armed attacks against Israel and in support of Hamas are the Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Houthis of Yemen, two Shiite groups that are also allies of Tehran.

 

By contrast, the Saudi government has kept the door to an agreement with Israel open and one of the members of the Saudi royal house, Prince Turki al Faisal, has criticized both Israel and Hamas for the damage caused to the civilian po[CENSORED]tion.

 

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/ckkrg9nwv72o