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Israeli Defense Minister: Arab world should unite with Israel against Iran

Lieberman called on the Arab world to follow Egypt’s Sadat and make peace with Israel, on the way to countering a shared foe – Iran. 

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Saturday called on the Arab world to normalize ties with the Jewish state and to present a united front against Iran’s belligerence in the region.

Issuing a statement on the 40th anniversary of the historic visit by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Israel, Liberman tweeted  “I call on leaders in the region to follow the path of President Sadat, come to Jerusalem and open a new chapter, not just in terms of Israel’s relations with the Arab world, but for the entire region.”

Liberman described the Sadat visit as a crucial stage towards a peace agreement between the two countries.   Sadat was “a brave leader who went against the stream and paved the way for other Arab leaders to recognize the importance of strategic ties with Israel,” Liberman wrote.

“The Middle East today needs, more than anything else, a coalition of moderate states against Iran. The coalition against Daesh [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State terror group] has finished its work, after Daesh, Iran,” Liberman wrote on Twitter.

Liberman’s statement comes just days after the IDF’s Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot told the Saudi Elaph news site that Israel is willing to share intelligence with Saudi Arabia, a country that shares Israel’s concerns about Iran.

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Asked if Israel has recently shared intelligence with Saudi Arabia, Eizenkot said, “we are prepared to share information if there is a need to do so.”

“There are many shared interests between us and Saudi Arabia,” Eizenkot added.

Eizenkot’s statements come amid rising tensions between the Kingdom and the Islamic Republic which have increased dramatically in recent weeks and among increased speculation and reporting regarding prospects for deepening Israeli-Saudi ties.

“Under US President Donald Trump, there is an opportunity to form a new international alliance in the region. We need to carry out a large, comprehensive strategic plan to stop the Iranian threat,” Eizenkot said.

At the same time, Eizenkot expressed concern over Iran’s expanding influence in the Middle East.

“This is what should be prevented in the region,” Eizenkot said, adding that “in this matter there is complete agreement between us and Saudi Arabia.”