From Rob Prince Blog, January 8, 2016
When Israel – Netanyahu in particular, but past Israeli prime ministers as well – wants to “stick it” to Washington, knowing that it could complicate Obama’s agenda some, it announces it is going to build more settlements in the Occupied Territories at a sensitive moment for Washington, the goal being, repeatedly, to sabotage any genuine progress towards a diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
..While it had other goals as well, it seems that the main purpose of Saudi Arabi’a mass execution  was to provoke Iran into overreacting in such a way that the P5+1 agreement (the Iran nuclear deal) would be scuttled. While critical of the Saudi executions, Iran has so far limited its response to a verbal rebuke. It did not take the bait and over-react.
..The Saudi head lopping was the largest mass execution since 1980 when 63 rebels involved in the 1979 rebellion in Mecca were likewise “put to the sword.” This time some 47 people – the most prominent among them the Shi’ite cleric Nimr al Nimra – were executed on January 2 inside prisons in twelve Saudi provinces; 43 were beheaded, the other four executed by firing squads. Most of the others were executed for organizing or participating in a series of al Qaeda-lined attacks in the years after 2003.
..Beyond the cynicism, downright inhumanity and barbarism of these beheading, which merit all the international outcry they are receiving, one must ask the question: what’s the deal? After all, Salman and Al Jubeir knew well that going down such a path would provoke such a vibrant negative reaction. But they didn’t give a hoot about public opinion, did they, as long as they were assured that Washington, other than making a few feckless public statements, would stand behind them. Again, the comparison with Netanyahu’s Israel – immune to criticism as long as the White House considers Israel its strategic ally – comes to mind. As long as Washington – be it the Bush or Obama White House – stand with its regional strategic allies Israel, Saudi Arabia it matters little what the rest of the world thinks.
Rob Prince is retired lecturer at the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies, Denver University, and a peacemaker we think.  HIs unique knowledge of ME power players makes this full story a rewarding read.  ED-CEC