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Guy Azriel
Senior News Desk Manager | @GuyAz
Jerusalem is negotiating a meeting with Omani counterpart
Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi plans to visit the Palestinian Authority’s Ramallah in the coming weeks, i24NEWS has learned.
As part of the upcoming trip, Albusaidi expressed his desire to ascend the Al Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, and contacted the Israeli Foreign Ministry to coordinate his arrival. Sources familiar with the matter told i24NEWS that as part of the negotiations, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is attempting to set up a rare meeting with Albusaidi.
It is not yet clear whether the Omani will give his consent to the high level meeting and where would it take place.
The negotiations take place as Israel continues its efforts to expand the Abraham Accords and normalize ties with new countries in the region. Oman and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, though the country has been named as a possibility to join the Accords, following the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Back in March, i24NEWS reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen held a rare phone call with Albusaidi, shortly after the historic announcement by the Sultanate of Oman that it was opening its air space to Israeli aircrafts.
Sources told i24NEWS the two discussed matters relating to the opening of the skies and also addressed the heightened tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Earlier this month, Albusaidi told Al-Monitor that his country is “open” to normalizing ties with Israel but not at the expense of the Palestinians, and indicated that the creation of a Palestinian state would be a prerequisite for Oman to establish full ties with Israel.
In October 2018, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise visit to the Sultanate in an apparent warming of ties between the countries. Later, minister Israel Katz also visited Oman, where he presented a plan for the construction of a railway between Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf. But achieving normalization between the two countries could be a complicated task considering the close ties between Muscat and Tehran.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held what he described as “constructive” talks with Albusaidi on a visit to Muscat. The meeting between the two top diplomats focused on “continued consultations and cooperation” and issues of bilateral concern. Earlier this month, Tehran said it had been engaged in indirect negotiations with Washington through Oman, regarding nuclear issues, U.S. sanctions, and American detainees held in Iran.
And, last month, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said arrived in Tehran for a two-day visit where he with met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Iranian state TV reported that Iran and Oman will sign at least four agreements in the fields of economy, investment and energy.
Late last year, i24NEWS reported that a senior Israeli official met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi to advance ties and boost regional cooperation.
An official Israeli Foreign Ministry document obtained by i24NEWS said the meeting – which took place at the sidelines of the MEDRC forum in Oman and attended by Israel’s Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General and Head of Middle East & Peace Process Division – said the sultanate seeks to differentiate itself from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and therefore any future advancement in ties would require a separate and direct link between Muscat and Jerusalem with an emphasis on the fruits of economic peace and in line with the guidelines from Saudi Arabia.
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