Why Saudi Prince Stopped Netanyahu From Joining War Against Houthis

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be chasing a new war front for Tel Aviv, as active bombing in Iran has subsided before US midterm elections. The Israeli prime minister has reportedly approached Saudi Arabia, through US mediation, seeking approval to join the kingdom's campaign against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. 

Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has opposed the Israeli proposal for military involvement in Yemen because of the likely backlash among the kingdom's public, Israel's Haaretz news reported, citing diplomatic sources. 

A second source privy to the matter told the publication that Tel Aviv had hoped military cooperation between the two US allies would strengthen their regional ties and pave the way for a future normalisation agreement.

Saudi-Israel Ties

Saudi Arabia does not have any formal diplomatic relations with Israel, despite US President Donald Trump repeatedly promoting the kingdom to sign the Abraham Accords in recent months. Riyadh has maintained that any normalisation depends on resolving the Palestinian issue, including the establishment of a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu has pledged to prevent in his recent election campaign statements.

So far, Saudi authorities have not commented on the reported rejection of the Israeli proposal, which comes amid repeated Houthi attacks that have disrupted the oil-rich kingdom's aviation industry, with authorities extending the closure of Riyadh's international airport until Saturday and airlines cancelling flights. 

Netanyahu's Normalisation Push

Prince Salman serves as the prime minister of Saudi Arabia in addition to his role as the crown prince, which means that, without his approval, the Netanyahu government is unlikely to receive permission to enter the war.

The Israeli Prime Minister, however, has repeatedly stated his goal of normalising relations with Riyadh. According to a Haaretz report, both nations were close to a deal in the fall of 2023, which was one reason Netanyahu sought to avoid escalating the conflict with Hamas in the weeks leading to the group's October 7 attack that year.

However, a recent report by the Washington Post has claimed that it was the Saudi prince himself who first warned Netanyahu about Hamas' plan, but the Israeli PM chose not to act on the warning.