Israel PM praises 'best ever' ties with Arab world

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised on Wednesday his country's "best ever" ties with the Arab countries, citing "many levels of cooperation" that still cannot be exposed.

Hailing a "breakthrough" in Israel's relations with the Arab world, Netanyahu said these ties cannot yet be publicly acknowledged, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office.

"The things that are actually happening with [the Arab states] have never happened in our history, even when we signed agreements," Netanyahu told Israeli diplomats at a Jewish New Year's toast at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

He said that cooperation between Israel and Arab countries is being held "in various ways and different levels," noting that these ties are not yet "visible." Away from the public eye, Netanyahu said, "[the cooperation] is much more than during any other period in the history of Israel. This is a tremendous change."

Israel and its Arab neighbors have been engaged in wars and conflicts since the statehood of Israel in 1948.

In 1978, Israel and Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, marking the first ever peace agreement between the Jewish state and an Arab country. In the 1990's, Israel signed a peace agreement with Jordan.

Arab states refrain from normalizing their relations with Israel, mainly due to Israel's occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the annexed Golan Heights.

Source: NNA