Netanyahu secret contacts with MBS aiming normalization: Israeli media

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Since the Knesset elections, which took place early last month, the head of the Likud party and the next Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in secret contact with the Saudi crown prince, Muhammed bin Salman, and the administration of US President Joe Biden, in an attempt to reach an agreement to normalize relations, according to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth Friday.

According to the media outlet, Netanyahu is seeking to include Saudi Arabia in the "Abraham Accords", but the chances of that are not great, the report added citing 3 different sources.

Netanyahu had contacts with bin Salman in this context during his previous term as prime minister and the two met in November 2020 in the Saudi city of Neom, the newspaper continued.

According to Israeli reports, they spoke on the phone several times.

The current new development is that, "the Saudi side is interested and that Ibn Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, is showing a real willingness to negotiate with Israel, and that these negotiations are based on strategic cooperation between them against Iran," said the report.

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Yedioth Ahronoth added that the contacts between Netanyahu and bin Salman are taking place "under the umbrella" of the Central Command of the US Army CENTCOM, but sources in Washington reported that "the two parties moved to direct contacts a long time ago, and that both are satisfied with the results."

The report also indicated that the UAE joined the Abraham Accords after getting a green light from Saudi Arabia and that without it (Saudi approval), this would not have happened.

"Netanyahu proposes an agreement to normalize relations devoid of any Israeli commitment regarding progress in the Palestinian file, in return (Netanyahu) pledges to refrain from annexing areas in the West Bank throughout his term as prime minister and after it," continued the report.

Bin Salman demands 

"With everything related to the Palestinian cause, it seems that bin Salman is satisfied with that."

In parallel, the Saudi crown prince is presenting his own demands to "Israel" and the US administration, as a condition for the normalization agreement with Israel.

"It is difficult to meet these conditions, but it is not impossible," said the media outlet.

The first demand added the report added is related to "Israel's endeavor to settle relations between bin Salman, the Biden administration, and Congress," who [bin Salman], "is hated in the White House, the left wing of the Democratic Party, and the liberal media," in light of a number of issues, on top of which is the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh's refusal to increase oil production after the war in Ukraine, and bin Salman's rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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The rivalry between Netanyahu and the US administration, and the possibilities of Netanyahu's success in mediating between bin Salman and the administration, are "limited, but despite that, the attempt is possible." added the news outlet.

“Mohammed bin Salman wants Netanyahu to seek support from supporters of Israel in Congress in order to lift the ban on selling advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia, including F-35 aircraft.”

The newspaper hinted at "the possibility of Saudi Arabia obtaining a place in the Al-Aqsa Mosque within the framework of an agreement to normalize relations with Israel, which will lead to another deterioration in relations between Israel and Jordan."

Yedioth Ahronoth added that Netanyahu will try in this context to prevent Israeli steps in Al-Aqsa Mosque to change the status quo in it, and seeks to implement them through the head of the Religious Zionist Party, Bezalel Smotrich and the head of the Otzma Yehudit party Itamar Ben Gvir.

However, the media outlet said, "he [Netanyahu] will ask them to wait for some time."

"There are important things happening. Now we are preparing for a war with Iran, and we are working to include Saudi Arabia on our side."

Saudi news channel Al Arabiya interviewed Netanyahu on Wednesday, which saw the Israeli premier touching on "Tel Aviv's" relations with Arab states, the structure of the US alliance in the region, the Israeli government, and the future of the maritime demarcation agreement reached with Lebanon.

According to the Israeli premier now facing scrutiny over his alliance with the Israeli so-called far-right, Saudi Arabia is key to ending the "Arab-Israeli conflict", as he called it, stressing that normalization with the kingdom was one of his top priorities.

"I think we can have a new peace initiative that will form a quantum leap for the achievement of the resolution of [...] the Arab-Israeli conflict and ultimately [...] And of course, I'm referring to what could be a truly remarkable historic peace with Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu told the Saudi news channel.

Israeli media reported earlier in November that Netanyahu hinted that one of his main goals in the coming period would be to normalize ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Netanyahu said in an interview with the Republican Jewish Alliance held in Las Vegas that his goal is to "include new countries" in the normalization agreements, before adding, " especially one more country."

Last October, Israeli media quoted Netanyahu saying in an interview with CNN that, "The Abraham Accords [normalization agreements] would not have taken place without tacit Saudi approval."

Last July, Israeli media relayed the appreciation of Netanyahu to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for his contribution to the completion of the four so-called "Abraham Accords"[normalization agreements].