United front against Iran said to be at center of Netanyahu-MBS talks

i24NEWS

November 24, 2020, 02:15 AMlatest revision November 24, 2020, 02:35 AM

 2 min read

The main issue raised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during their reported meeting on Sunday was the creation of a united front against Iran, Saudi officials told Hebrew-language daily Israel Hayom on Monday.

According to the anonymous sources, the Saudis are certain that US President-elect Joe Biden and his administration have already drawn up plans to reenter the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, or a revised version of the agreement.

Netanyahu, along with Israel’s International Spy Agency (Mossad) chief Yossi Cohen, reportedly flew to the Saudi Arabian city of Neom where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) and outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday.

The Prime Minister’s Office has refused to comment on the report but has not denied the visit to the Gulf Kingdom took place.

Saudi Arabia considers Tehran its most dangerous rival in the region, and have reportedly moved to strengthen its covert ties with the Jewish state as they both share a common enemy in the Islamic Republic.

Another topic discussed, according to the daily, was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the Saudis expressing their desire to see Jerusalem resume peace talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Earlier this week, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the Islamic Kingdom supports full normalization with Israel but stressed that a deal between the two countries would only come after the creation of a “Palestinian state on 1967 borders.”

“We have supported normalization with Israel for a long time,” the minister told Reuters on the sidelines of the G20 summit convened earlier this week. “We are the authors of the Arab peace initiative of 2002, which envisaged complete normalization with Israel.”

“[O]ne very important thing must happen first,” the prince continued, “and that is a permanent and comprehensive peace agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis including the establishment of a Palestinian state on 1967 borders.”

The Saudis would also like Israel to reach an understanding with Hamas in the Gaza Strip on the main points of a long-term truce negotiated by Egypt.

Riyadh, Israel Hayom reported, is ready to provide financial aid to the Palestinian Authority and Gaza if an arrangement could be reached.