Saudi Rebuffs Israel on Houthi War as Airport Attacks Kill 13
(MENAFN) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has turned down an Israeli request to take part in the military campaign against Yemen’s Houthi movement, even after Israel sought Riyadh’s consent through U.S. mediation, an Israeli daily newspaper reported on Monday.
Citing an unnamed diplomatic source, the newspaper said the crown prince has no appetite for Israeli military help. He fears that cooperating with Israel could trigger public backlash inside Saudi Arabia.
A second source familiar with the matter said Israel had hoped that joint military action would deepen ties with Saudi Arabia and open the way to a future normalization deal.
Saudi officials did not immediately respond to the report.
Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. It has long said normalization hinges on resolving the Palestinian issue, including the creation of a Palestinian state.
The report follows a sharp rise in Houthi attacks on the kingdom, including repeated strikes on airports that have caused casualties and disrupted flights.
An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. A second strike on the same airport on Sunday killed a Pakistani resident and wounded 11 others, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.
The surge in violence began in July, ending a stretch of relative calm after a UN-brokered truce took effect in April 2022.
Yemen has been at war since September 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to back the country’s internationally recognized government.
Citing an unnamed diplomatic source, the newspaper said the crown prince has no appetite for Israeli military help. He fears that cooperating with Israel could trigger public backlash inside Saudi Arabia.
A second source familiar with the matter said Israel had hoped that joint military action would deepen ties with Saudi Arabia and open the way to a future normalization deal.
Saudi officials did not immediately respond to the report.
Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. It has long said normalization hinges on resolving the Palestinian issue, including the creation of a Palestinian state.
The report follows a sharp rise in Houthi attacks on the kingdom, including repeated strikes on airports that have caused casualties and disrupted flights.
An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. A second strike on the same airport on Sunday killed a Pakistani resident and wounded 11 others, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.
The surge in violence began in July, ending a stretch of relative calm after a UN-brokered truce took effect in April 2022.
Yemen has been at war since September 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to back the country’s internationally recognized government.
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