Israel is working toward a normalization deal with a fifth Muslim country before President Donald Trump leaves office in less than a month, Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) told Ynet on Wednesday.
Asked if a fifth country could normalize ties with Israel before Trump steps down on January 20, Akunis responded: “We are working in that direction.”
“There will be an American announcement about another country that is going public with the normalization of relations with Israel and, in essence, with the infrastructure for an accord – a peace accord.”
Akunis didn’t name the country but said there were two main candidates, one in the Gulf, and another further in the east – “a Muslim country that is not small but is not Pakistan.”
Akunis added that the Gulf country is not Saudi Arabia but named Oman as a possibility.
“A Muslim country in the east that is not small and not Pakistan” describes Indonesia and in fact, a Bloomberg report on Tuesday said that the Trump administration has offered Indonesia up to $2 billion in US development aid if it establishes ties with Israel.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, stated last week that it would not recognize Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
These aren’t peace deals. These countries have never been at war with Israel.
Nevertheless they are a good thing. Indonesia would actualy matter as it is the fourth largest country in the world by population and the largest Muslim majority country by far. It traditionally has no history of Islamic extremism and the largest religious organizations there are sort of the Islamic equivalents of Conservative and Reform Judaism. Unfortuntely the Saudis have been promoting their extremist version there and gaining adherents. Judaism is not a recognized religion in Indonesia today.