Israel calls for Saudi Arabia to make their relations public

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Israel's intelligence and transportation minister has called on Saudi Arabia's King Salman to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Riyadh to establish full diplomatic relations.

Speaking at a conference in Herzliya on Thursday, Yisrael Katz also asked King Salman to send newly appointed crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to Tel Aviv after describing shared interest in countering rival Iran.

"I call upon Salman, the King of Saudi Arabia, to invite the prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu, to visit Saudi Arabia," Katz said the annual Herzliya Conference, where Israeli leaders present national strategy initatives.

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Speaking to Al Jazeera from Ramallah, Mustafa Barghouti, who heads the Palestinian National Initiative, said it was unlikely that Saudi Arabia or other Arab countries would follow suit.

"I don't think Saudi Arabia or other Arab countries will accept to normalise relations with Israel," Barghouti said.

"This is a very sensitive issue. Jerusalem is a very sensitive issue. How could Saudi Arabia have normal relations with Israel, while it is occupying the [third] most important religious place [to Muslims] - the Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem?

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