Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the first time on Tuesday amidst the meeting of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. The main topic of discussion was the potential normalization of Israeli-Saudi relations. The meeting comes a day after Erdogan said that he supported the U.S.-led initiative. In recent months, relations between Israel and Turkey have been thawing after years of friction over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. In his speech to the U.N., Erdogan refrained from his usual harangue against Israel and offered just a few words in support of Palestinians. Erdogan is planning to visit Israel next month to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Turkish Republic by praying at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque. U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday at the U.N. to further discuss details of a potential agreement with the Saudis.
