Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin SalmanReuters

Hadashot reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been pushing to formalize Israel's long-rumored ties with Saudi Arabia.

According to the report, Netanyahu and Mossad head Yossi Cohen have been working to make the covert ties with the desert kingdom official in an effort coordinated by the United States.

Reports in recent years have indicated that Saudi Arabia and Israel are getting closer, though the two countries still do not have any official ties.

A report in November claimed the Saudi government is weighing the possible normalization of relations with Israel ahead of a planned Middle East peace program by the Trump administration which aims to not only secure a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but lead to recognition of the Jewish state by the larger Arab world.

In October, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that Saudi Arabia had been “a very good ally with respect to Iran and with respect to Israel.”

Last year, Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) invited the Saudi King and Crown Prince to visit Israel in an interview with the Saudi publication Elaph.

“Israel today views Saudi leadership in the region positively,” Katz said. “No other Arab country exists with the same level of power and understanding.”