[ad_1]
Muscat, Oman:
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo headed house Thursday after a Middle East tour aimed toward encouraging Arab international locations to observe the UAE’s transfer and normalise relations with Israel.
However, stops in Bahrain, Oman and Sudan failed to supply any public commitments to recognise the Jewish state, after the landmark US-brokered take care of the United Arab Emirates introduced earlier this month.
“Met today with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al-Said on the importance of building regional peace, stability, and prosperity through a united Gulf Cooperation Council,” Pompeo tweeted as he left Oman, the final cease on his itinerary.
“Grateful for our strong security partnership and economic ties.”
The official Oman News Agency stated that “aspects of the existing bilateral cooperation between the sultanate and the United States were reviewed within the framework of the strong relations that bind them,” however made no reference to relations with Israel.
Pompeo was the primary high-level Western official to satisfy Sultan Haitham, who succeeded Sultan Qaboos on his loss of life in January after some 5 many years in energy.
Oman has lengthy had dialogue with Israel and welcomed the UAE’s August 13 announcement that it had normalised ties, whereas reaffirming its help for the Palestinians.
The US chief diplomat had stated he was hopeful different nations would observe the UAE, which turned solely the third Arab nation to ascertain relations with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan.
However, Sudan’s transitional authorities on Tuesday dashed hopes for a speedy breakthrough, saying it has “no mandate” to take such a weighty step.
And Bahrain echoed the feelings of its ally, regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, that an accord with Israel wouldn’t materialise with out the institution of an impartial Palestinian state.
An anti-climax?
“After American and Israeli officials spent days hyping the prospect that other Arab countries would soon follow the UAE in normalising relations with Israel, the lack of any additional public commitments during Secretary Pompeo’s regional tour looks like an anti-climax,” Hugh Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations instructed AFP.
While in Israel on the primary cease of the tour, Pompeo made a symbolic video in Jerusalem for the Republican National Convention through which he touted the Trump administration’s help for the Jewish state.
The concern will possible characteristic prominently in campaigning for the US presidential election in November.
The UAE’s controversial recognition of Israel has been met with criticism from some elements of the Arab world, with the Palestinian management condemning it as a “stab in the back”. Even US allies within the area have been cautious of their response.
For Saudi Arabia, not solely would a proper recognition of Israel be seen by Palestinians and their supporters as a betrayal of their trigger, it might additionally harm the dominion’s picture because the chief of the Islamic world.
During a quick cease within the UAE on Wednesday, Pompeo held talks with Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and nationwide safety adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and congratulated them “on the monumental achievement” of the Israel deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reviews that the UAE deal hinges on the sale of US F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Emirates, saying he opposes a transfer that would scale back Israel’s strategic edge within the area.
Lovatt stated that “it is possible that a lack of clarity on the US commitment to deliver F-35s to the UAE could have also played a part in slowing a second wave of normalisation”.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink