Saudis pivot from seeking peace with Israel to trying to contain war

Over the past few days, Saudi Arabia has experienced a diplomatic whiplash.

Before Saturday morning, the kingdom was riding high on good vibes and good publicity: It was nearing a historic normalization agreement with Israel that would have opened up economic and political ties, given it a formal security arrangement with America, and boosted its civilian nuclear program.

But within hours of Hamas’ bloody assault on Israel, Saudi Arabia found itself condemning massacres, urging restraint, pledging undying support for the Palestinians, and frantically trying to mediate one of the most...