Netanyahu may meet Saudi crown prince in Abu Dhabi: Reports
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) while on a whirlwind trip to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, local media reported.
An Emirati source told the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that "MBS is ready to meet Bibi", confirming that negotiations to arrange a meeting had been ongoing.
Meanwhile, an Israeli minister told public broadcaster Kan News that Netanyahu could meet with the powerful crown prince when he visits the UAE.
Netanyahu refused to confirm the meeting when asked by reporters on Wednesday, and instead quipped: "What is it like to ask questions you know you won't get an answer to?"
The Saudi government's communication office CIC did not respond to a queries about whether MBS would travel to Abu Dhabi and meet with Netanyahu.
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Israel and Saudi Arabia have no formal diplomatic relations, but cooperation between the two countries has grown in recent years amid concerns over Iran.
The UAE and Bahrain, which closely coordinate their foreign policies with Saudi Arabia, normalised relations with Israel in August as part of diplomatic moves urged by former US President Donald Trump's administration.
In the wake of those agreements, Trump officials said a deal with Saudi Arabia was "inevitable", and Saudi officials have since said they would develop relations once a peace deal had been struck between Israel and the Palestinians.
Originally, Netanyahu had planned to tour Gulf states in February, but Israel imposed travel restrictions to cope with a new surge in Covid-19 cases.
Earlier reports claimed that the Emiratis were hesitant to meet with Netanyahu, who will contest another election in less than two weeks.
Israel will be holding its fourth election in two years on 23 March, with Netanyahu likely using the trip to highlight his credentials in building ties with Arab states.
In an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that if he was to secure re-election he could achieve "more peace agreements" in the region, while ensuring that Iran "doesn't arm itself with nuclear weapons".
Separately, Israel's Channel 13 news reported on Wednesday that Netanyahu may meet with his Sudanese counterpart, Abdalla Hamdok, while in the UAE. The report said Israel was in talks to make the meeting happen, but gave no further details.
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