Israel and Sudan, on Friday, decided to take action to normalize relations in an agreement concluded with the aid of the United States. This made the North African country the third Arab state to put aside conflicts with Israel in the last two months.
President Donald Trump, pursuing re-election on Nov. 3, signed the deal by a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Sudanese counterpart Abdalla Hamdok. Also, there was a Transitional Council Leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who participated in the agreement, senior U.S. officials said.
This week, Trump’s decision to withdraw Sudan from the U.S. register of state sponsors of terrorism paved the way for the deal with Israel. Moreover, it also represented a foreign policy victory for the Republican president, coming at a crucial time as he seeks a second term and lags behind Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls.
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Netanyahu welcomed it as a “modern era” for the region. However, the Palestinian leadership, seeing more of its Arab members appear to give a lower priority to their pursuit for statehood, called it a “fresh stab in the back.”
Sudan normalizes ties with Israel
The leaders decided to normalize ties between Sudan and Israel and resolve the conflict between their nations. According to a joint statement released by the three countries, this is assured U.S. assistance to Khartoum to obtain foreign debt relief.
In addition, Israel and Sudan are aiming to begin by setting up economic and trade ties. Meanwhile, there’s an initial emphasis on agriculture, the Joint Statement stated. A senior U.S. official said that concerns such as the formal establishment of diplomatic relations would be addressed later.
In a three-way conference call, Trump announced the deal to reporters in the Oval Office. As the Israeli and Sudanese leaders were on the line, the U.S. leader claimed that at least five other nations agreed to follow suit and normalize ties with Israel.
“Do you suppose ‘Sleepy Joe’ would have made this deal? “Trump questioned Netanyahu, using the president’s derogatory nickname for Biden a day after their last, contentious presidential campaign 2020 debate. “Somehow, I don’t believe so, either.”
Netanyahu, dependent on bipartisan support for Israel in Washington, answered hesitantly: “Well, Mr. President, one thing I can assure you is, um, uh, we appreciate we appreciate the help for peace from anyone in America.”
