LAHORE: Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz on Wednesday invited Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to visit Israel, according to Haaretz.

In an interview to the Israeli daily, Katz confirmed that he extended the invitation to Mohammed bin Salman in the interview with the UK-based independent news website Elaph.

According to Haaretz, the excerpt with the invitation was not included in the final version of the wide-ranging interview.

Katz referred to Saudi Arabia as the “leader of the Arab world” and recommended that peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel happen under the kingdom’s auspices.

“He said that he asks the king to invite (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu officially to Riyadh, and he asks MBS, Mohammed bin Salman, the son, to come and visit Israel,” Shalicar said of Katz.

According to his spokesman, Katz invited the Saudi Crown because “he wants regional peace — that’s part of his three-layered program”.