Saudi Arabia and Israel may never become close relatives but they may well become good friends. There’s nothing like common interests to stimulate companionship.

The most recent development, isolating Qatar from its nearest neighbours may be a pointer. The recognition by Donald Trump of the importance and value of the relationship between the USA and Israel is to be much appreciated.

As someone who takes the view that ex President Obama and his colleagues were both clueless and apathetic about foreign policy, I feel that President Trump may readily be criticised for shooting his mouth off. But his forthright approach to China and North Korea, his attitude towards NATO’s costs and his recent visit to the Middle East speak volumes in his favour.

I write not with rose-coloured glasses: he might do much better to suggest that Jerusalem should be an international religious centre, rather like the Vatican. He certainly needs to take a very tough line towards Russia (especially the rather megalomaniac Putin who appears to model himself on a money grabbing version of Adolf Hitler.)  Then there’s Syria, with Turkey (Erdogan) lurking in the wings.

So even more does it make sense for Saudi Arabia and Israel to pull together. It might even be possible to combine the wealth of the former with the aptitude of the latter to solve the otherwise intractable problem of the Palestinians.