Netanyahu presses to build relationships in the Gulf states
Netanyahu presses to build relationships in the Gulf states
TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Oman marked a new chapter in his effort to strengthen ties with Arab Gulf nations and change the conversation from Palestinian issues to regional threats like Iran.
Netanyahu sees countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman as crucial potential allies in a Middle East that is aligned around opposition to Iran and is less concerned about the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land without a signed peace agreement. US officials hope that Saudi Arabia and other states can press the Palestinians to sit at the table and accept the terms of the Trump administration.
Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday promised additional public meetings with Oman to follow up on his highly publicized trip last week. Other Israeli officials also visited the Gulf nations recently or will see them in the coming days in open and unusual environments, possibly developing calm ties between the Gulf and Israeli intelligence agencies.
Israel lacks diplomatic relations with most of its Arab neighbors, with the exception of Egypt and Jordan. Israel tacitly shares certain intelligence information with neighbors such as Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.
In establishing relations with Oman, Netanyahu opens a possible channel of return to Tehran while Israel tries to get Iran out of Syria and the war is coming to an end. Oman has served as an intermediary for players at war in the region, including the USA. UU And Iran in 2013.
"In our long meeting, we discussed in detail the challenges facing the Middle East. These were important conversations, both for the State of Israel and very important conversations for the security of Israel. There will be more, "Netanyahu said on Sunday before a meeting of his cabinet.
Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman can also connect Mr. Netanyahu with other regional leaders who are not yet ready to meet openly with the Israeli leader. Oman Foreign Minister Yousef bin Alawi said his country could facilitate discussions and offer new ideas for the Palestinian peace process, although the country played only a limited role in the past, said current and former officials who participated. in peace talks.
"Israel is a state that is present in this region and we all understand it," Alawi said Saturday at a conference in Bahrain after the meeting. "Perhaps the time has come for Israel to be treated in the same way as other countries."
Oman received Mr. Netanyahu in a warm and public manner, with state media showing photos and videos of the Israeli leader in Muscat and participating in a series of meetings. The meeting followed months of discussions between diplomats in both countries, Netanyahu said.
"Apart from the political benefits of the meeting within Israel, which are real, I think this is largely because Israel needs to find an effective way to communicate with the Iranians, especially for deterrent purposes," said Dennis Ross, He was the main national official. Security positions in several presidential administrations and now he is a counselor in the Washington Institute.
Israel still faces challenges to build open relations with other Arab countries.
At the same conference in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, reiterated Riyadh's position that ties with Israel can only be normalized by establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and Israel's withdrawal from the territory it occupied in 1967.
On Sunday, Hamas condemned Netanyahu's visit to Oman, calling it "a stab in the back" and a sign that Arab officials have surrendered to the Palestinian cause.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received an envoy to Sultan Qaboos in Ramallah on Sunday for further consultations and pledged to strengthen cooperation with Oman. Mr. Abbas met with Sultan Qaboos in Muscat several days before Mr. Netanyahu.
Another heated exchange between Israel and Gaza over the weekend illustrated the challenges to peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world.
The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad launched more than 35 rockets against Israel on Friday and Saturday. In response, Israel attacked almost 100 targets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Israel said that Islamic Jihad had been in contact with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps during the latest escalation and that Israel would not refrain from expanding its response beyond Gaza.
Israeli officials expect the visit to Oman to be a sign that public ties are possible without a signed Palestinian peace agreement, even if those ties are somewhat limited. It occurs amid a series of meetings between Israeli officials and Gulf states.
Miri Regev, a member of Mr Netanyahu's coalition and culture minister, visited Abu Dhabi over the weekend as part of an Israeli delegation to a judo tournament. Unlike last year, Israeli athletes were allowed to participate under the Israeli flag and the Israeli national anthem "Hatikvah" played there on Sunday when an Israeli athlete received a gold medal.
Ayoub Kara, an Israeli government minister seen as close to Mr. Netanyahu, will travel to Dubai on Monday for a communications conference, people familiar with the visit said.
Israel Katz, Israel's minister of intelligence and transport, will visit Oman next week to attend an international transport conference and present his plan for a train to connect Israel with the Gulf states, said Arye Shalicar, adviser to Mr. Katz.
-Margherita Stancati in Manama, Bahrain, Abu Bakr Bashir in Gaza City and Dov Lieber in Tel Aviv
Contributed to this article.
Write to Felicia Schwartz in Felicia.Schwartz@wsj.com
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