An Israeli minister said on Sunday Israel has had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia amid common concerns over Iran, a first disclosure by a senior official from either side of long-rumored secret dealings. Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as an archenemy and increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fuelled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together. In an interview on Army Radio, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet, did not characterize the contacts or give details when asked why Israel was “hiding its ties” with Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
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. It’s the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet.”
Last week, the Israeli military chief, Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot, told an Arabic online newspaper that Israel was ready to share “intelligence information” with Saudi Arabia, saying they had a common interest in standing up to Iran.
