Don’t forget the Palestinian cause

Some Israeli officials have confirmed that Netanyahu (right) and the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency had flown to Saudi Arabia to meet MBS last week. — Reuters

THE planned futuristic Saudi city of Neom on the Red Sea coast was the venue of the G20 virtual summit last week, but something of greater importance happened there on Sunday night that may mark a tectonic shift in regional geopolitics. The reported covert meeting between the Israeli prime minister and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is seen as the most significant move yet towards the recognition of Israel by the kingdom.

While the Saudi foreign minister has denied that any such meeting took place, some Israeli officials have confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency had flown to Saudi Arabia on Sunday night. There have been reports of informal contacts between the two countries in the past, but it would be the first direct interaction at the highest official level.