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- Oct 26, 2018
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BEIRUT, Lebanon — A covert meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia would be a historic first, suggesting that the two countries were making progress toward establishing formal diplomatic relations.
But the contradictory news on Monday about such a meeting — with unsourced Israeli media reports saying it had taken place clashing with a denial from the Saudi foreign minister — highlighted the domestic politics in each country and signaled how far apart the two countries remained from the prospect of exchanging ambassadors.
Israeli news outlets reported early Monday that Mr. Netanyahu and the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen, had flown to Saudi Arabia on a private jet on Sunday evening. In a meeting with Prince Mohammed in Neom, a futuristic city planned near the Red Sea coast, the three men discussed Iran, which both countries consider a threat, and the possible normalization of relations, the Israeli reports said.
Mr. Netanyahu refused to comment, but Israeli journalists close to him were among the first to report the story. Flight tracking websites documented the jet’s trip from Tel Aviv to Saudi Arabia, and three officials close to Mr. Netanyahu alluded to the meeting’s significance, appearing to confirm that it happened.
“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,” Yoav Galant, the education minister, said in a radio interview. “This is something our ancestors dreamed about.”
But hours after the news echoed around the world, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, denied that any meeting with Mr. Netanyahu had taken place, insisting that Prince Mohammed had met only with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was completing a seven-nation farewell tour.
“There was no meeting,” Prince Faisal wrote in a text message. He said that he had accompanied Mr. Pompeo throughout his visit and that “Saudi and American officials were the only ones present.”
The conflicting statements reflected different priorities: Israel and the Trump administration have promoted the idea that a diplomatic opening between Saudi Arabia and Israel is only a matter of time, while the Saudis have insisted that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal must come first.
Mr. Netanyahu, who has often been accused of leaking reports for political gain, had ample reason to trumpet any incremental steps in building relations with Saudi Arabia. He is eager to improve his standing at home as a leader who can turn Israel’s foes into friends and to divert attention from corruption allegations.
The calculation is different for Prince Mohammed, who has told American visitors that he does not consider Israel an enemy but that opening official relations too quickly could inspire extremists and be used against him in a region where Israel remains unpopular.
Reports of the visit followed agreements by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan to establish formal relations with Israel, moves that the Trump administration pushed to crack a boycott of Israel by most Arab states in solidarity with the Palestinians.
But the contradictory news on Monday about such a meeting — with unsourced Israeli media reports saying it had taken place clashing with a denial from the Saudi foreign minister — highlighted the domestic politics in each country and signaled how far apart the two countries remained from the prospect of exchanging ambassadors.
Israeli news outlets reported early Monday that Mr. Netanyahu and the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen, had flown to Saudi Arabia on a private jet on Sunday evening. In a meeting with Prince Mohammed in Neom, a futuristic city planned near the Red Sea coast, the three men discussed Iran, which both countries consider a threat, and the possible normalization of relations, the Israeli reports said.
Mr. Netanyahu refused to comment, but Israeli journalists close to him were among the first to report the story. Flight tracking websites documented the jet’s trip from Tel Aviv to Saudi Arabia, and three officials close to Mr. Netanyahu alluded to the meeting’s significance, appearing to confirm that it happened.
“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,” Yoav Galant, the education minister, said in a radio interview. “This is something our ancestors dreamed about.”
But hours after the news echoed around the world, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, denied that any meeting with Mr. Netanyahu had taken place, insisting that Prince Mohammed had met only with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was completing a seven-nation farewell tour.
“There was no meeting,” Prince Faisal wrote in a text message. He said that he had accompanied Mr. Pompeo throughout his visit and that “Saudi and American officials were the only ones present.”
The conflicting statements reflected different priorities: Israel and the Trump administration have promoted the idea that a diplomatic opening between Saudi Arabia and Israel is only a matter of time, while the Saudis have insisted that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal must come first.
Mr. Netanyahu, who has often been accused of leaking reports for political gain, had ample reason to trumpet any incremental steps in building relations with Saudi Arabia. He is eager to improve his standing at home as a leader who can turn Israel’s foes into friends and to divert attention from corruption allegations.
The calculation is different for Prince Mohammed, who has told American visitors that he does not consider Israel an enemy but that opening official relations too quickly could inspire extremists and be used against him in a region where Israel remains unpopular.
Reports of the visit followed agreements by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan to establish formal relations with Israel, moves that the Trump administration pushed to crack a boycott of Israel by most Arab states in solidarity with the Palestinians.
