12 July 2020; MEMO: Israel’s relationship with Arab states does not depend on peace with the Palestinians, Israel’s Minister of Intelligence Eli Cohen told i24NEWS on Thursday.
He stressed that even if a peaceful solution with the Palestinians seems impossible, Arab states are going ahead in developing ties with Israel as they believe the main threat within the Middle East is Iran.
“We should be aware that the importance of oil and gas is decreasing, whereas the importance of technology is on the rise,” he expressed. “Therefore, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and others are interested in cooperation with Israel, it’s a matter of mutual interest.”
On the Israeli plan to annex large parts of the occupied Palestinian West Bank, Cohen explained that Israel intends to go forth with the plans despite the global pandemic, in order to make use of the window of time before the US elections, which could bring a new administration that does not support the annexation.
