Mountains of words have been written about the wonders of the “Sunni axis” of pragmatic Arab states, each of which maintains an “extramarital affair” — that is, low-profile relations — with Israel. This alliance was supposed to form the basis of a regional peace process about which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and even Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid fantasize. This surreptitious relationship is fueled by secret meetings between all the parties, high-quality intelligence passed from one to the other, and various and sundry efforts at cooperation that take place below the media’s radar.

On the other hand, the Sunni axis has yet to provide the real goods, i.e., a genuine peace process encompassing the entire region. It is doubtful whether it can actually provide such without any real progress on the Palestinian-Israeli track. Netanyahu is fully aware that there is only one free meal ticket available in the Middle East, and that is when you yourself are the main course. Now, however, even the little that has been achieved through surreptitious meetings is currently at risk.

Sources close to the various players have told Al-Monitor that the cogs in the Sunni axis are barely turning, its unity of purpose is being challenged, and whatever harmony there was is growing into discord. Overall, this can be attributed to the mishaps and failures that the Sunni states have faced in Syria in their confrontation with the Russian-Shiite-Alawite alliance, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. At the center of this is a serious crisis that has turned into a real conflict between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the two most senior members of the Sunni alliance. These two countries bear the weight of the entire alliance on their shoulders — Egypt as its strongest member militarily, and Saudi Arabia as its wealthiest member, which funds a significant part of Sunni efforts on various fronts, including keeping the (collapsing) Egyptian economy afloat.

According to various assessments, the crisis erupted in response to Saudi concerns that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has recently changed course on Syria and now supports keeping Assad in power. Neck-deep in their fight against Assad and the Shiite axis, the Saudis consider this shift in Cairo’s position as more than just an expression of ingratitude. To them it represents a true act of betrayal. The Saudis pumped many billions of dollars into the Egyptian economy to help Sisi survive his first year in office. Now they are so furious at him that they recently withdrew their support. This conflict is shaking the very foundations of the Sunni alliance.