As per Israeli media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have secretly visited Saudi Arabia and hold meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The Israeli PM is reported to have paid a secret visit to Saudi Arabia on November 22nd on Sunday a day earlier. If true, the visit marks the first known meeting between Saudi and Israeli officials.
According to flight records, a Gulfstream IV private jet took off from Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and then proceeded South towards Neom – planned cross-border city in the Tabuk Province of northwestern Saudi Arabia – the same place which hosted scheduled meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
US and Saudi officials have yet confirmed or denied the media reports.
However, Yoav Gallant – Israeli Education Minister has confirmed the high-level meeting between Saudi and Israeli premiers.
The very fact the meeting happened, and was outed publicly, even if half-officially right now, is a matter of great importance, he said.
Kan public broadcaster reported has that PM Benjamin Netanyahu was accompanied by Mossad intelligence chief Yossi Cohen and that they used businessman Ehud Angel’s private plane for the trip.
The development comes as United States under Trump administration has been pushing for the normalization of Israel with Arab countries.
Recently United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Sudan have established diplomatic relations with the Jewish State with US being the primary broker of the restoration of Arab-Israel ties.
