by Ma’an
A secret meeting between Israeli diplomats and diplomats from Arab countries that do not have open diplomatic relations with Israel was recently held in Jordan, Israeli radio station Voice of Israel reported Tuesday.
The broadcasting station added in a report on their Arabic-language website that representatives of the European Union and the United States had also attended the meeting.
The report alleged that several Arab diplomats said that countries in the region should be preparing for a new reality as the United States’ influence on regional security begins to retreat.
They also were quoted as saying that Sunni countries in the Middle East are interested in cooperating with Israel on security issues.
However, Voice of Israel added that political deadlock between Israel and Palestine has so far prevented cooperation between Arab countries and Israel.
In recent months, commentators have noted an increasing alignment between Israeli and Gulf security priorities.
Saudi Arabia has been leading a predominantly Sunni military coalition against allegedly Iran-backed rebels in Yemen since March and is one among several Gulf states believed to be funding Syrian rebels fighting Iran’s allies in Syria and Iraq.
Israel has long been a hostile opponent of Iran.
Both Israel and Gulf nations have expressed dismay over an Iranian agreement with world powers that would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for an easing of crippling economic sanctions.