Reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a clandestine visit to the northern Saudi city of Neom to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday have sparked a firestorm of rumors.
The Saudis have flatly denied that the Israeli leader set foot on their soil; however, officials in Tel Aviv — in typically Israeli fashion — have adopted a more ambiguous tone.
Several media outlets in Israel say the visit indeed took place, while a member of the state’s security cabinet has said on record that “the meeting happened”.
Whatever the truth of the matter, it is clear that fervent moves are being made in the shadows to bring the Arabs and Israel closer to each other, with the Trump administration very publicly calling for recognition of the Jewish state, particularly by Saudi Arabia.
While over the past few months the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan have struck peace deals with Israel, it would be a game-changer were Saudi Arabia to do so.
Officially, Riyadh sticks to the position that there would be no peace with Israel unless the Palestine question is resolved. But it is difficult to believe that the Gulf states would have gone ahead without Saudi Arabia’s blessing.
Moreover, because Islam’s holiest sites are on Saudi soil, Riyadh’s recognition of Tel Aviv would have a great impact on the Muslim world.
There have also been indications that Pakistan faces pressure from some of its powerful foreign friends to embrace Israel.
Palestinians have rejected the recent peace deals between Arab states and Israel.
The reason remains clear; those who rule Israel have no intention of going back to the 1967 borders and living in harmony with the Palestinians by giving them back the land that was stolen from them.
According to BBC, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has denied that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to the Gulf kingdom on Sunday to secretly meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
"No such meeting occurred," Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud tweeted.
Mr Netanyahu has declined to comment on the Israeli reports that he was on board a private jet that traveled from Tel Aviv to the Red Sea city of Neom.
It would be the first known meeting between leaders of the historical foes.
US President Donald Trump has been pressing them to normalize relations after brokering deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan in recent months.
Citing unnamed Israeli sources, Israeli public broadcaster Kan and other media earlier reported that Mr Netanyahu and the head of the Mossad intelligence service, Yossi Cohen, attended talks in Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening with Crown Prince Mohammed and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
A senior Saudi adviser told the Wall Street Journal that the leaders discussed several issues, including the normalization of ties and Iran, but that no substantial agreements were reached.