Reports circulate of Netanyahu visit to Saudi Arabia

It is being reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly travelled to Saudi Arabia on Sunday (22 November) for a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Haaretz, Israel’s longest-running newspaper, reports that a plane used by the Israeli Prime Minister left Israel at 19:30, arriving in the Saudi Arabian city of Neom where it spent two hours on the ground before returning to Israel at around 00:30. The private plane is reportedly the same used several times by Netanyahu for trips to see Russian President Vladimir Putin.

If the Israeli Prime Minister did attend the meeting, it would be the first known meeting between high-level Israeli and Saudi leaders – two countries that presently have no formal diplomatic relations.

However, despite unnamed sources confirming, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has denied any Israeli attendance:

Earlier this weekend, Prince Faisal had spoken in support of a normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, but only after a ‘permanent and full peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians’ was established. 

In an interview with Galei Tzahal (Israeli Defence Service radio), Israeli Education Minister Yoav Galant this morning stated, “The fact that the meeting took place and was made public — even if it was in only a semiofficial way — is something of great importance”. It is unclear whether the minister had received direct reports of the meeting or was simply responding to the media.

When asked about the meeting this morning, Netanyahu neither confirmed nor denied the trip:

“I have not addressed such things for years and I will not start with it now… I can only tell you that throughout my years as Prime Minister I have spared no effort to strengthen the State of Israel and expand the circle of peace.”

Sources: commonspace.eu with agencies, Haaretz, the New York Times
Photo: Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (Saudi Press Agency)

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.
Editor's choice
News
US and Ukraine sign deal giving US access to country’s valuable mineral wealth

US and Ukraine sign deal giving US access to country’s valuable mineral wealth

The United States and Ukraine have signed a minerals deal after a two-month delay, in what President Donald Trump's administration called a new form of US commitment to Kyiv after the end of military aid. Ukraine said it secured key interests after protracted negotiations, including full sovereignty over its own rare earths, which are vital for new technologies and largely untapped. Trump had initially demanded rights to Ukraine's mineral wealth as compensation for US weapons sent under former president Joe Biden after Russia invaded just over three years ago.

Popular

Editor's choice
News
US and Ukraine sign deal giving US access to country’s valuable mineral wealth

US and Ukraine sign deal giving US access to country’s valuable mineral wealth

The United States and Ukraine have signed a minerals deal after a two-month delay, in what President Donald Trump's administration called a new form of US commitment to Kyiv after the end of military aid. Ukraine said it secured key interests after protracted negotiations, including full sovereignty over its own rare earths, which are vital for new technologies and largely untapped. Trump had initially demanded rights to Ukraine's mineral wealth as compensation for US weapons sent under former president Joe Biden after Russia invaded just over three years ago.