The two leaders also discussed how to relate to the incoming Biden administration.
The main issue that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman discussed during their meeting on Monday was the establishment of a front against Iran in light of what is likely to be a Biden administration in the United States, senior Saudi officials have revealed, according to Yisrael Hayom.
The officials, who claim to be closely knowledgeable about the details of the discussions, added that Saudi Arabia is certain that Biden and those advising him have already prepared an outline for a future nuclear deal with Iran. Riyadh will therefore be seeking to minimize the damage that is likely to result from it.
They also noted that the Saudi government in Riyadh sees Israel as its most important partner in its efforts to contain the Iranian threat.
Rumors of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Sunday afternoon flight to Saudi Arabia first emerged on Monday, and it later emerged that Mossad chief Yossi Cohen had accompanied him. At the time, the Prime Minister’s Office refused to comment on the rumors; they did not deny them either.
Originally, the Prime Minister was to attend a meeting of the coronavirus cabinet at the time of his flight. However, on Saturday night, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the cabinet meeting would only take place on Monday, as Ministers Zeev Elkin and Izhar Shay had yet to complete their recommendations for the use of digital means to contain the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.
Senior Israeli officials have now revealed that this reason was an excuse to cover up the real reason – Netanyahu’s flight to Saudi Arabia.
(Arutz 7).
