Netanyahu, Trump float Sudan, Oman as next potential partners to join peace train

Netanyahu and Trump want to expand the circle of countries normalizing relations with Israel.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Sudan and Oman could be the next countries to ink a deal with Israel.

Dana Weiss, reporter for Channel 12, writes on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump have raised the possibility of promoting contacts with the two countries. They would follow the UAE and Bahrain. (On Sept. 5, Trump announced in addition that Kosovo would be the first Muslim majority country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.)

A signal that Oman may be contemplating warming ties as well was an announcement on Oman TV reported by Reuters in which it praised the blossoming of ties between Israel and Bahrain.

Sudan had been floated last month as the country next in line to normalize relations with Israel. An indication that Sudan topped the list was a historic direct flight taken by Secretary of State Pompeo on August 25 from Israel to Sudan.

The flight followed mixed messages coming out of Sudan. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Haider Badawi said that there was “no reason to continue hostility between Sudan and Israel,” and that the countries were in talks. This was immediately followed by furious denials from the government and the spokesman’s sacking.

Israel’s Channel 12 reports, “The U.S. president is apparently interested in as many achievements as possible before the presidential election and before the announcement of the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.”

“Some time ago there was an attempt to bring about a breakthrough with Morocco, but in the end the move was unsuccessful,” according to the report. It said that, if not full relations, at least direct flights between Israel and Morocco are being contemplated.

“The leaders are now trying to see if it will be possible to obtain this gesture from Morocco as they managed to get the gesture from Saudi Arabia,” the report said.

Saudi Arabia recently granted overflight permission to and from the UAE for all countries. Although the declaration did not specifically mention Israel, it was generally recognized as directed at the peace deal.

Netanyahu will fly to the U.S. on Sunday for a signing ceremony at the White House with the UAE as well as Bahrain.