TEL AVIV – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to formalize ties with Saudi Arabia and hopes to make Saudi-Israeli relations official before the November 2019 elections, Channel 2 news reported Saturday.
The U.S. and Mossad chief Yossi Cohen are working behind the scenes on the effort, the report said. Cohen is Netanyahu’s top official working with the desert kingdom. He also facilitated Netanyahu’s October visit to Oman. Following that trip, Netanyahu promised “there would be others.”
Israel and Saudi Arabia share a common goal of combating Iran’s hegemonic aspirations, and to that end Israel has been engaged in prolonged discussions with the Saudis as well as other nations in the region, the report said, citing a senior diplomatic source.
According to Israeli reports, Israel is also seeking to normalize relations with Bahrain.
Netanyahu stood behind Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman when he faced international criticism over his alleged role in the killing of Saudi-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
Netanyahu emphasized that while the murder was “horrendous” it is “very important for the stability of the region and the world that Saudi Arabia remain stable.”
Netanyahu has stressed that improving Israel’s standing in the international arena would not come at the expense of “dangerous concessions” such as uprooting communities, as occurred with the 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
“That hasn’t happened — and won’t happen — with me,” Netanyahu said. “The exact opposite is happening. We are getting the world’s support, including by many in the Arab world, through our strong and steadfast standing.”
“We believe in peace out of strength, we believe in alliances born out of Israel’s value as a technological, financial, defense and intelligence powerhouse,” he added. “That’s what we will continue doing, and that’s also how we’ll achieve peace.”
However, King Salman’s comments at the start of the GCC summit Sunday, in which he called Israel “aggressive,” contradict reports that the monarchy’s support for the Palestinians is on the wane.
“The Kingdom calls on the international community to carry out its duty by taking the necessary measures to protect the Palestinian people from Israel’s aggressive practices that are considered a provocation to Arabs and Muslims,” the National quoted King Salman as saying.
He added that his kingdom is working to secure the rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.