JERUSALEM: Israel’s prime minister on Sunday expressed hope that his country will establish formal diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, days before US President Joe Biden will visit the two countries as part of a regional visit.
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, but share secret security ties over the mutual animosity of regional arch-rival Iran. The state is believed to be one of a handful of Arab states that weigh in on open ties with Israel.
During a weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said, “Israel extends its hand to all countries in the region and calls on them to build ties with us, establish ties with us, and change history for our children.” He said Biden would carry “a message of peace and hope from our side” when he leaves for Saudi Arabia.
Israel’s relations with Arab states have grown since the normalization of relations with the four Arab states in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Agreement.
Defense cooperation strengthens after Pentagon changes coordination with Israel US European Command for middle arch, or centcom, Last year. The move aligned Israel’s military with former enemy states, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have not yet recognized Israel.
Biden is set to arrive in Israel on Wednesday for a three-day visit, which will also include meetings with Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank. From there he will fly directly to Saudi Arabia.
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Sunday, Biden said his goal is to bring the two countries closer together.
“I will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” Biden wrote. “That visit will also be a small symbol of the emerging ties and steps toward normalization between Israel and the Arab world, which my administration is working to deepen and expand.”
Formal relations with Saudi Arabia would be a major diplomatic coup for Israel. The state has been publicly reticent about acknowledging cooperation with Israel. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has long been a supporter of the Palestinians and their desire to establish an independent state in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Israel occupied all three territories in 1967, although it withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005.
The kingdom has long conditioned the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel on a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinians haven’t had substantive talks in more than a decade.
But there have been signs of a changing attitude in recent years. Saudi Arabia has allowed flights between Israel and the Gulf countries to pass through its airspace. In 2020, then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and last week several Israeli defense journalists visited the kingdom and published news reports about his welcome .
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, but share secret security ties over the mutual animosity of regional arch-rival Iran. The state is believed to be one of a handful of Arab states that weigh in on open ties with Israel.
During a weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said, “Israel extends its hand to all countries in the region and calls on them to build ties with us, establish ties with us, and change history for our children.” He said Biden would carry “a message of peace and hope from our side” when he leaves for Saudi Arabia.
Israel’s relations with Arab states have grown since the normalization of relations with the four Arab states in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Agreement.
Defense cooperation strengthens after Pentagon changes coordination with Israel US European Command for middle arch, or centcom, Last year. The move aligned Israel’s military with former enemy states, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have not yet recognized Israel.
Biden is set to arrive in Israel on Wednesday for a three-day visit, which will also include meetings with Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank. From there he will fly directly to Saudi Arabia.
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Sunday, Biden said his goal is to bring the two countries closer together.
“I will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” Biden wrote. “That visit will also be a small symbol of the emerging ties and steps toward normalization between Israel and the Arab world, which my administration is working to deepen and expand.”
Formal relations with Saudi Arabia would be a major diplomatic coup for Israel. The state has been publicly reticent about acknowledging cooperation with Israel. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has long been a supporter of the Palestinians and their desire to establish an independent state in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Israel occupied all three territories in 1967, although it withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005.
The kingdom has long conditioned the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel on a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinians haven’t had substantive talks in more than a decade.
But there have been signs of a changing attitude in recent years. Saudi Arabia has allowed flights between Israel and the Gulf countries to pass through its airspace. In 2020, then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and last week several Israeli defense journalists visited the kingdom and published news reports about his welcome .