Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that if he returns to power, he will sign a peace deal with Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu addressed the press in what he called a statement of policy.
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Benjamin Netanyahu makes a policy statement at the start of his election campaign
(Photo: Eli Mandelbaum )
In a moment of confusion, the former prime minister said he welcomed the visit of president Donald Trump.
"This is an important visit because from here, the president will fly to Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu said.
"A direct flight is an expression of the massive change we have brought to the Middle East. Our policy has truly created a new Mideast," he said.
During his term, Israel signed the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with four Sunni Arab nations.
"I would like to extend my appreciation to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for his contribution to the four peace agreements we had forged," he said.
Netanyahu was ousted from power last year when Naftali Bennett was able to establish a coalition of parties from the left and right of the political spectrum which also included for the first time, an Arab party.
Bennett's government fell after losing parliamentary majority and a snap election was called for November.
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Prime Minister Yair Lapid and former prime minister Naftali Bennett as the Knesset votes to dissolve and snap elections are called, in June
(Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch )
Starting his election campaign, Netanyahu said that if he returns to power, he intends to go a long way.
"I intend to sign a comprehensive peace treaty with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations," Netanyahu said. "Our next peace agreements will bring us closer to ending the Arab Israeli conflict," he said.