The Sultanate of Omar on Sunday welcomed the announcement of the normalization deal between Israel and Bahrain, Oman state TV reported on Sunday.

“The Sultanate welcomes the initiative taken by the kingdom of Bahrain within the framework of its sovereign rights and the Tripartite Joint Declaration on Relations with Israel,” a government statement said.

“The sultanate hopes this new strategic path taken by some Arab countries will contribute to bringing about a peace based on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and on establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi spoke to Omani Foreign Minister Yosef bin Alawi bin Abdullah last month following the announcement of the Israel-UAE normalization agreement and agreed to work on strengthening the relationship between Israel and Oman.

Israel and Oman do not currently maintain diplomatic relations but there have been talks between the two countries in recent years. Oman expressed support for the Israel-UAE agreement on Augst 14, the day after the agreement was announced.

In 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu secretly visited Oman and met with the late ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who invited Netanyahu after lengthy negotiations between the two countries, the first since 1996. It was the first and only Gulf state to date to host Netanayhu.

Netanyahu was accompanied on the visit by his wife, Mossad head Yossi Cohen, National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabat, Foreign Ministry Director-General Yuval Rotem, Chief of Staff Yoav Horowitz and Military Secretary Brigadier General Avi Balot.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said passed away earlier this year and his cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said succeeded him.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)