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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking Saudi Arabia’s approval to launch strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, using US intermediaries to persuade Riyadh, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday, citing a diplomatic source.
According to the report, Netanyahu is advancing talks with Saudi Arabia to secure permission for Israeli intervention in Yemen’s decade-long conflict.
His aim is to coordinate with Riyadh and bring bilateral ties to a level that could pave the way for a formal normalisation agreement in the future.
However, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is reportedly reluctant to allow direct Israeli involvement in the Yemen war. He fears that Israeli military participation could trigger a negative reaction among the Saudi public, the report said.
As Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and prime minister, MBS holds a key role in the decision-making process. Without his approval, Israel is unlikely to secure permission to join the conflict, according to the report.
Normalising relations with Saudi Arabia has long been a stated goal of Netanyahu. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel is widely believed to have been partly aimed at disrupting efforts to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh, however, has repeatedly said it would consider normalising relations with Israel only if an independent Palestinian state is established.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, pledged during recent election campaigning to oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, highlighting a major obstacle to any potential agreement between the two countries.
