Ynet: ‘Israel’, Arab Chiefs Hold Secret Talks in Germany

By Staff, Agencies 

The Hebrew “Yedioth Ahronoth” daily revealed that Washington is increasingly leaving the field open to “Israel” to expand military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, with the aim of deepening bilateral ties and potentially paving the way for Riyadh to join the normalization accords.

According to the article, “Israeli” Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the military chiefs of several Arab countries held a secret meeting in Germany last week, bringing together senior commanders from countries that maintain varying degrees of military and diplomatic ties with “Israel”.

The meeting, organized by US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper, included the military chiefs of "Israel", Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, according to YA. None of the participating governments publicly announced the gathering. 

The meeting reportedly provided a rare forum for direct consultations between "Israel" and Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, which do not have formal diplomatic relations with "Israel".

Among the encounters was reportedly a meeting between Zamir and Saudi Chief of General Staff Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, who has held the post since 2018. The gathering comes as Riyadh faces mounting pressure from its war on Yemen and the response of the Yemeni Armed Forces, while seeking additional US and regional support, as per the article.

The secrecy surrounding the meeting has left significant questions about its duration and discussions. According to Ynet, the participants refrained from disclosing details, with Cooper apparently being the only senior official to publicly acknowledge the gathering.

The meeting also comes amid intensified US-Saudi military consultations. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently met Cooper in Jeddah as the aggression on Yemen escalated. Riyadh had reportedly sought US military assistance against the YAF, with Washington declining to authorize direct US strikes but agreeing to provide intelligence-sharing and targeting support. 

The Hebrew article further described “Israel's” emerging role in supporting Saudi Arabia through intelligence cooperation as part of a broader regional security framework. It further suggested that Washington's decision to limit direct military involvement could create space for expanded "Israeli"-Saudi military coordination.

The article also pointed to the strategic importance of alternative energy-export routes for Saudi Arabia, particularly amid threats to maritime routes through the Bab El-Mandab and Strait of Hormuz. Recent developments in Yemen have increased concerns over the security of Saudi energy infrastructure and international shipping. 

Qatar's participation was particularly notable given its lack of formal diplomatic relations with "Israel" and its continued role in regional mediation. Oman, meanwhile, was absent from the gathering, with the “Israeli” report linking its absence to Muscat's role as an intermediary between Iran and Gulf states.

The meeting comes against a wider expansion of security coordination involving "Israel" and Arab states, as per the article. While "Israel" has formal diplomatic relations with the UAE and Bahrain under the normalization deal, its military and intelligence ties with other Arab governments have largely remained less public.

Jordan and Egypt, which both maintain diplomatic relations with "Israel", also participated in the Germany meeting. Jordan's newly appointed military chief, Majdi Al-Harasais, represented Amman, according to Ynet.

The gathering comes as the regional security landscape continues to shift. “Israeli” aggression continues across multiple fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied West Bank, while Yemen has emerged as another major theater amid the escalation involving the Yemeni Armed Forces amid the Saudi aggression and blockade.

According to Ynet, Zamir briefed his Arab counterparts on “Israeli” military operations across those fronts, including against the Yemeni Armed Forces.

The meeting's reported focus on military and intelligence cooperation points to an effort to deepen coordination among "Israel", the United States and Arab states, particularly amid the war on Iran. The extent to which those discussions will translate into formal or operational cooperation, however, remains unclear, as per the article.