Pushing for peace in the Middle East: Oman says it's time to accept Israel

MANAMA (BAHRAIN): Oman portrayed Israel as an accepted Middle Eastern state on Saturday, a day after hosting a surprise visit from its prime minister who, according to Washington, could contribute to regional peace efforts.

Oman offers ideas to help Israel and the Palestinians meet but does not act as mediator, said at a security summit in Bahrain, Minister Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah Sultan in charge of Foreign Affairs.

"Israel is a state present in the region and we all understand it," bin Alawi said.

"The world is also aware of this fact.Maybe it is time for Israel to be treated the same way [as others states] and that it bears the same obligations."

His comments follow a rare visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Oman just days after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas paid a three-day visit to the Gulf country. The two leaders met with Sultan Qaboos of Oman.

"We are not saying that the road is now easy and paved with flowers, but our priority is to end the conflict and move to a new world," bin Alawi told the summit.

Oman supports the United States and President Donald Trump's efforts to work for "the agreement of the century" (peace in the Middle East). he adds.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa voiced support for Oman for the role of the Sultanate in securing Israeli-Palestinian peace. peace process.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain attended the three-day summit. US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his Italian and German counterparts also participated, but King Abdullah of Jordan canceled his appearance after a flood that killed 21 people in the Dead Sea region.

Trump's envoy for the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt, welcomed the "warming ties and growing cooperation between our friends in the region" in a tweet Friday night.

"This is a useful step for our peace efforts and the creation of a climate of stability, security and prosperity between Israelis, Palestinians and their neighbors." Looking forward to seeing other meetings like this one. This, "said Greenblatt.

CURBING IRAN

Israel and some Gulf states share an interest in limiting the influence of Iran in the region.

Oman has long been in the Middle East what neutral Switzerland is to world diplomacy. The country helped mediate US-Iranian secret negotiations in 2013, culminating in the landmark nuclear deal signed in Geneva two years later.

Earlier this year, bin Alawi visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and Netanyahu repeatedly referred to warmer relations with the Gulf states.

He told the Israeli parliament last week that "due to fears of a nuclear threat from Iran," Israel and the other Arab countries are closer than they are to the United States. they have never been before.

Although this is rare, Israeli leaders have already visited the Gulf state.

In 1996, the late Shimon Peres went to Oman and Qatar when he was prime minister and opened commercial representation offices for Israel in the two Gulf countries.

His predecessor, the late Yitzhak Rabin, made his first trip to Oman in 1994.

During his visit on Friday, Netanyahu was accompanied by senior officials, including the head of the Mossad intelligence agency and his national security adviser.