Israel and Saudi Arabia share many regional interests, including the war against Islamic extremism and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But it would be a mistake to think that these commonalities change the Saudi discourse on Israel.

About two months ago, a story ran in the Saudi media claiming that Israel “steals” dates grown in Saudi Arabia. According to the reporting, Israel obtains the dates by way of a third party and sells them in Europe under an Israeli label. This serious accusation has come from not only Saudi merchants but also a representative of the royal family, Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al-Saud, governor of the Al-Qassim region, one of the most important date-growing regions in the country.

Another top official with the Saudi date industry in the Al-Qassim region told Al-Monitor Nov. 2 that he is convinced Saudi dates do pass through Israeli hands. According to the official, Al-Qassim's dates are internationally renowned for their high quality and organic cultivation. Date traders from neighboring countries who come to Al-Qassim and purchase the dates end up selling them to many countries, including Israel, in what he describes as "commercial corruption."

Though the Saudis have not filed an official complaint about the theft to any international authorities, their grievance should not be taken lightly. The desert kingdom takes the date industry very seriously. The fruit is considered a national symbol, and a senior official in the date industry once claimed that economically, the date in Saudi Arabia is second in importance only to petroleum.