Israel on Friday condemned the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, but said cooperating with Riyadh against Iran was a far more pressing priority.
In his first public reaction to the affair, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Khashoggi's death, which has sparked global outrage at Saudi Arabia, was "horrendous" and must be dealt with.
"Yet at the same time, I say that it's very important for the stability of the world, for the region and of the world, that Saudi Arabia remain stable," Netanyahu said. "I think that a way must be found to achieve both goals. Because I think that the larger problem is Iran."
Netanyahu spoke to reporters Friday after a meeting in the Bulgarian city of Varna with the leaders of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia.
Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, a Saudi ally, lauded the Israeli prime minister's message, saying "Netanyahu understands the importance of Saudi Arabia and its role in the region."
The Saudi government initially denied Khashoggi had been killed, then said that he had died in an unplanned "rogue operation" before the kingdom's public prosecutor conceded last week that the murder had been premeditated.
Earlier Friday, Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Khashoggi's killing was outweighed by the existential threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, and that "Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, are our allies in recent years against the spread of Iran and against the Iranian nuclear threat."
Netanyahu made a surprise visit last week to Oman, whose foreign minister then told Gulf neighbors that Israel should be accepted in the region. Other Israeli delegates this week visited the United Arab Emirates.
The Trump administration, which has brought U.S. policy closer into line with Israel's, has also sought to tighten relations with Saudi Arabia.
