Reuven Rivlin
JERUSALEM, Nov 20 (Agencies): An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either country of long-rumoured secret dealings.
The Saudi government had no immediate response to Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz's remarks. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not respond immediately to a request to comment.
Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as a main threat to the Middle East and increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fuelled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together.
Saudi Arabia maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war, territory Palestinians seek for a future state.
US President Donald Trump's peace envoys, seeking an Israeli-Palestinian agreement with regional support, have visited Saudi Arabia several times since he took office.
In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, did not characterise the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was "hiding its ties" with Saudi Arabia.
He replied: "We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab countries, and usually (we are) the party that is not ashamed.
Meanwhile, Israeli police announced Monday an investigation after a picture of President Reuven Rivlin wearing a Palestinian scarf emerged amid anger over his decision to reject a soldier's pardon request.
Rivlin had on Sunday refused to pardon Elor Azaria, the soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian assailant as he lay on the ground in March 2016.
Right-wing politicians criticised Rivlin's decision, and Culture Minister Miri Regev went as far as saying that he had "abandoned Elor Azaria and harmed the pardoning institution".
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
