The cable quoted Israeli Foreign Ministry official Yacov Hadas saying, "the Gulf Arabs believe in Israel's role because of their perception of Israel's close relationship with the United States," adding that GCC states "believe Israel can work magic."

Israel and the Gulf states also shared an interest in countering what they saw as rising Iranian influence in the Middle East. So while the two sides sparred in public — Israel's "Cast Lead" military operation had just claimed more than 1,400 lives in the Gaza Strip and was condemned by Saudi Arabia, in a letter to the United Nations, as "fierce aggression" — they enjoyed "good personal relations" behind closed doors, Hadas said, according to one cable. Hadas reportedly added that the Gulf Arabs were still "not ready to do publicly what they say in private."