Israel to sell air defense systems to Saudi Arabia: Report

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

The report comes amid speculation that a normalization of ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv is in the making

Hebrew media reported on 1 July that a US-sponsored security deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia may be announced during the upcoming visit by US President Joe Biden to the region.

The security deal aims to provide the Saudi kingdom with Israeli air defense systems.

“The deal will be promoted under [US] auspices, due to the lack of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Israeli public broadcasting agency Kan reported, adding “Israel is interested in … the sale of air defense systems to Saudi Arabia during the upcoming visit of US President Joe Biden.”

The report went on to say that, as part of his West Asia trip, Biden will go to Israel on 14 July, where he will visit the Palmachim Airbase and be briefed on Israel’s missile defense technologies, such as the Iron Dome.

Biden will be accompanied by Israeli Defense Minister and Army Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, and Aviv Kochavi.

The security deal to provide Saudi Arabia with Israeli air defense systems relates to the ‘Iranian threat’ against Riyadh, Kan reported, noting that over the coming week a US official will travel to the region to prepare for Biden’s visit.

According to the Israeli agency, Biden’s trip, which will stop in both Israel and Saudi Arabia, will focus on “efforts to form a regional coalition of moderate countries in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf to deal with Iran and [Shia] armed groups.”

The US president confirmed when pressed by reporters on 11 June, that his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia is not related to the fuel crisis in the west, as many expect, but to the “national security” of Israel.

Biden’s trip comes amid a recent Israeli push for normalization of ties with the kingdom.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who served as Foreign Minister at the time, said on 30 May that Tel Aviv has been talking to the US and Gulf Arab countries on the possibility of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.

Last month, yet another private flight from Israel landed in the Saudi city of Jeddah, coming in through Amman, Jordan from the Israeli Lod airport, in an undeclared visit to the Saudi kingdom.