The Saudis expressed their disapproval of Obama’s inaction on Iran in a free-market way—by purchasing $2 billion worth of armaments from Russia. The Saudis have exclusively purchased US weapons since the Gulf War, as a way of repaying their American saviors.
Sales of S-400 SAM batteries are on the agenda. Since Saudi Arabia is a stable country, it can purchase a scaled-down export version of the S-400 with no trouble.
Israel cannot follow the Saudi example. Unlike in Saudi Arabia, where the decision to approach the Russians is made by a single ruler, in Israel thousands of corrupt officials depend on American military manufacturers for their living, and would torpedo any deal with Russia.
