Netanyahu visits Saudi Arabia – Politics –

It was of great importance that this meeting was held and semi-officially announced, he told army radio. It is the first public trip by an Israeli head of government to Saudi Arabia.

A journalist for the newspaper “Haaretz” had previously published aviation data showing the flight of a commercial jet from Tel Aviv to the city of Noem in Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea. The crown prince and Pompeo wanted to meet there on Sunday. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu was accompanied on his trip by foreign intelligence chief Joseph Cohen. Cohen is a leading advocate for low-key efforts to establish diplomatic contacts with the Gulf states. Netanyahu’s visit was not mentioned in Saudi Arabian state media. No comment was received from the Riyadh government.

Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has traditionally championed the Palestinian cause and avoided all official contacts with Israel. But the kingdom, its allies in the Gulf and Israel share a deep distrust of Iran. Therefore, Pompeo is trying to persuade the regional superpower to establish official relations with Israel, like its neighbors, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. So far, the royal family of Saudi Arabia has refused to normalize relations with Israel. However, it now allows Israeli planes to cross national airspace to new destinations in the Gulf region and to destinations in Asia.