Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making secret, last-ditch efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia ahead of Israel's October 27 elections, two senior Israeli political sources told Al-Monitor.
According to the sources, Israel has signaled to Riyadh, indirectly, that it is willing to provide intelligence assistance, possibly including military consultations, to help the kingdom counter the Houthi threat. They said Netanyahu is seeking to leverage Saudi Arabia's recent setbacks against the Iran-backed group, and is working through Washington to press Riyadh toward normalization in exchange for that help.
Any progress would give Netanyahu a diplomatic achievement to present to voters, an outcome the Saudis are reluctant to hand him, the report said.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly conditioned normalization on an irreversible path to Palestinian statehood, which Netanyahu's government opposes. An unnamed Saudi source told Kan this week that Israeli assistance against the Houthis would not change that position.
Neither government has publicly acknowledged any security cooperation.
