Writing in Saudi paper, Israel intelligence minister calls for normalisation

Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen has called on Arab states to normalise relations with the occupation state and not wait for the Palestinian issue to be resolved, the New Khaleej reported yesterday.

According to the news website, Cohen spoke with the Saudi online daily Elaph and reiterated Israel’s intelligence capabilities and cooperation with the Gulf States against Iran.

“I appreciate the cooperation of the Arab states,” he said. “There is importance for security relations in front of the common enemy,” he added, pointing to Iran.

“There is importance for mutual economic cooperation among these countries [Israel and the Gulf States],” he said, stressing: “We could work together.”

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Regarding the Israeli relations with the Arab states in light of the planned Israeli annexation of large parts of the occupied Palestinian West Bank, Cohen stressed the importance of dialogue to reach an agreement.

He denied any reconciliation with the Arab states and the Palestinians based on US President Donald Trump’s so-called ‘deal of the century’; however, he stressed that any potential reconciliation with the Palestinians far from the deal could take more than ten years.

Cohen claimed that he had met with the Palestinian leaders many times to reach a reconciliation, “but the Palestinians have only one thing in mind: opposition to peace.”

He said: “We completely withdrew from Gaza, what did the Palestinians do with the money paid by the Gulf States? They built tunnels and arms factories that we destroyed over their heads.”