Israel's Netanyahu makes rare visit to Oman
October 27, 2018
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned on Friday from a surprise visit to Oman, in an apparent sign of growing Israeli-Arab normalization.
The unannounced meeting in Muscat with Sultan Qaboos represents a major achievement for Netanyahu, who has sought to develop secret relations with Arab states despite the absence of peace talks with Palestinians.
Read more: 'Most' Israelis and Palestinians oppose two-state solution
In a joint statement issued after Netanyahu's returned home, the Israeli leader and Sultan Qaboos said the two sides "discussed ways to advance the Middle East peace process and discussed a number of issues of mutual interest to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East."
The statement said Sultan Qaboos had invited Netanyahu after "lengthy contacts between the two countries."
Netanyahu was joined by his wife Sara, the head of Israel's intelligence agency, his national security adviser, his foreign ministry director and other officials.
Mediating with Palestinians
The visit comes after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Oman earlier this week, raising the prospect that the sultanate may mediate between the two sides.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled for nearly a decade and US President Donald Trump's much vaunted peace plan is yet to be released.
Palestinians have been boycotting the Trump administration since it decided to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem earlier this year. Relations soured further when the US cut funding to the UN's refugee agency for Palestinians and booted the Palestine Liberation Organization from its Washington office.
Israel's budding ties with Arab states
Israel and Oman do not have formal diplomatic relations. The only Arab states that recognize Israel are Jordan and Egypt.
However, Netanyahu and senior officials have in recent months boasted of secret ties with Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Netanyahu's visit with Sultan Qaboos was notable for being widely publicized, with Israeli and Omani media carrying images and videos of the meeting.
In February, Oman's foreign minister visited Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the West Bank. A month later, a rare meeting at the White House brought together officials from Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Israel to discuss the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
Oman as regional broker
Oman has a foreign policy of non-interference and has played a mediating role in a region crisscrossed by rivalries and conflicts.
Despite being a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Oman has not joined the Saudi-led boycott of Qatar or its military intervention in Yemen. During the Obama administration, Oman played a mediating role between the United States and Iran. Unlike many Arab states, Oman has also maintained relations with Syria.
Oman's unique position in the region could also see it potentially play a role in mediating tensions between Israel and Iran, especially related to Syria.
Israel's judo team make history
Israel Prime Ministers visited Oman in 1994 and 1996 around the time of the Oslo peace process. A trade office in Oman was closed in 2000 during the second Palestinian Intifada.
In another sign of warming ties between Israel and Arab states, Israel's judo team is set for the first time to participate at an international competition in the UAE under their national flag.
Sports Minister Miri Regev arrived on Friday for the event's opening ceremony in Abu Dhabi, marking the first time an Israeli minister has visited the UAE in an official capacity.
cw/amp (AFP, AP, Reuters)