RNA - The Hadashot TV news, the main news bulletin watched in the occupied Palestinian territories, said in a report late Saturday that, according to its sources, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to formalize ties with Riyadh before the next election which is slated for November next year.
Many expect Netanyahu to push the votes to earlier in 2019 to avoid a forced exit from power due to various scandals that have gripped him over the past months.
The Hadashot did not elaborate on further details on potential formalization of Israeli-Saudi ties but said that the United States and Yossi Cohen, the top man in Israeli secret spy agency Mossad, were directly involved in the case.
According to the Times of Israel, the Israeli regime has been conducting extensive diplomatic negotiations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab governments over the past months in a bid to convince them that they should allow formal diplomatic relations more than half a century after the Six-Day War which saw Israel occupy the West Bank and the Golan Heights.
Netanyahu’s office has yet to comment on Hadashot’s report. However, the Israeli premier has repeatedly boasted of his efforts to get closer to many Arab governments that have for years condemned Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Many believe he wants to use the issue to deflect attentions from an ongoing investigation into his financial wrongdoing.
Saudi Arabia has expanded secret ties to Israel under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman who is viewed by many as the Kingdom’s de facto ruler. The young prince has made it clear that he and the Israelis stand on the same front to counter Iran and its growing influence in the Middle East.
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