Israeli PM calls for Saudi relations ahead of Biden visit

Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, but have shared clandestine security ties towards Iran. Saudi Arabia is widely believed to be among a handful of Arab states weighing open ties with Israel.

“Israel extends its hand to all the countries of the region and calls on them to build ties with us, establish relations with us, and change history for our children,” Prime Minister Yair Lapid said during a weekly Cabinet meeting. He said Biden will carry “a message of peace and hope from us” when he embarks for Saudi Arabia.

Israel's ties with Arab states have grown since normalizing relations with four Arab states in 2020 as part of the so-called Abraham Accords. Defense cooperation has tightened since the Pentagon switched coordination with Israel from U.S. European Command to Central Command, or CENTCOM, last year. The move lumped Israel’s military with those of former enemy states, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have yet to recognize Israel.

Biden is set to arrive in occupied Palestine Wednesday for three-day trip that will also include meetings with Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank. From there, he will fly directly to Saudi Arabia.