Netanyahu Seeks Saudi Green Light for Houthi War, MBS Opposes Israeli Involvement: Israeli Media

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly seeking Saudi Arabia’s approval, through US mediation, for Israel to participate in military operations against Yemen’s Houthis, despite Riyadh’s longstanding refusal to recognise Israel without a resolution of the Palestinian issue.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a diplomatic source, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opposes Israeli military involvement in the campaign against the Houthis, fearing a strong public backlash within the Kingdom.

Another source familiar with the matter told Haaretz that Netanyahu’s efforts are also aimed at strengthening relations with Riyadh and creating conditions for a future normalisation agreement between the two countries.

The reported initiative comes amid continuing Israeli military operations across the Middle East, including in Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, which have heightened regional tensions and drawn widespread criticism over civilian casualties and violations of sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia has never established diplomatic relations with Israel and maintains its position that normalisation cannot proceed without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Kingdom has consistently condemned Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, settlement expansion and military operations in Gaza, while advocating a diplomatic resolution to the Palestinian question.

Netanyahu’s reported attempt to secure Saudi approval for military action against the Houthis comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Houthi attacks targeting Saudi civilian infrastructure have raised security concerns across the Kingdom.

However, the prospect of Israeli participation presents a political challenge for Riyadh, given Israel’s military actions in several Muslim-majority countries and strong public sentiment over the Palestinian issue.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly promoted Saudi-Israeli normalisation through the Abraham Accords, seeking to expand the diplomatic framework established during his first presidency in 2020.

The agreements led to formal diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, but Saudi Arabia has remained outside the framework.

According to the report, the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump and Netanyahu, worked during the final weeks of his life to make Saudi-Israeli normalisation a central element of the Middle East’s postwar political order following the war with Iran.

Netanyahu’s latest diplomatic initiative appears to link Israeli participation in regional security operations with broader efforts to secure diplomatic recognition from Saudi Arabia.

For Riyadh, however, the Palestinian question remains a central obstacle to normalisation, while direct Israeli involvement in military operations against the Houthis could generate additional political and regional complications.

The Haaretz report does not indicate that Saudi Arabia has approved Israel’s participation or that any formal agreement has been reached.

The development highlights the challenges facing Washington’s efforts to bring Saudi Arabia and Israel closer, particularly as the Middle East continues to grapple with military confrontation, unresolved Palestinian statehood and competing regional security interests.