Report: Senior Israeli official visits Saudi Arabia over security cooperation
Israeli and Saudi officials reportedly discussed threats posed by their common enemy Iran
A senior Israeli official reportedly visited Saudi Arabia recently for talks of growing cooperation, including in the field of security between the countries.
The visit, which Channel 12 News said included meetings at the Riyadh Palace, took place against the backdrop of warming ties between Israel and the Saudi kingdom as well as US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Jerusalem.
According to the report, Israeli and Saudi officials discussed regional security interests, such as threats posed by their common enemy Iran.
Although Jerusalem and Riyadh do not have diplomatic relations, the United States is pushing for cooperation between its Middle Eastern allies.
Earlier this week, two US officials traveled to Saudi Arabia to reportedly work on a deal that would allow Washington and Riyadh to strengthen their ties, and move towards Saudi-Israeli normalization.
Proposed steps to reach normalization include Saudi Arabia allowing Israel to use its airspace for all flights and direct flights for Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, Axios reported.
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The White House is also reportedly working to coordinate a meeting between Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and aiming to broker a deal between Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
While Riyadh acknowledged neighboring states – the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – for normalizing ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords, it refrained from following suit.
“We don’t look at Israel as an enemy, we look to them as a potential ally, with many interests that we can pursue together,” Prince Mohammed said in March.