Sudan, Oman ‘to normalise ties with Israel next week’: reports

Oman and Sudan could announce normalisation deals with Israel as soon as next week, according to Friday reports, after the US hinted at more Arab countries joining accords struck between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Citing Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv, Israeli broadcaster i24 News stated Sudan and Oman are holding US-brokered talks with Israel so as to announce peace deals next week.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft on Wednesday revealed a third normalisation agreement between Israel and an unnamed Arab country may happen in the next day or two.

i24 News previously reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely meet with Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the leader of Sudan’s transitional sovereign council, in the coming days in Uganda, the second meeting between both officials.

In return for the normalisation deal, Sudanese officials hope Khartoum will be removed from the United States’ State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

The designation, in place since the 1990s, exposes Sudan to harmful sanctions and limits the amount of international aid available to the country amid a spiralling economic crisis.

On its end, Oman expressed support for last month’s normalisation of ties between the neighbouring UAE and Israel.

Since the UAE and Bahrain signed an agreement to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel earlier this month, speculation has pointed to a handful of other Arab countries on the brink of reaching similar deals, with Oman and Sudan as the most likely candidates.

The Trump administration has made Israeli-Arab normalisation a key focus of its Middle East foreign policy close to the US elections on November 3.

The Palestinians have been vocal in their opposition to the agreements, arguing such decisions remove any incentive for Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories.

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