Will Sudan announce today it’s ready to normalize relations with Israel? Rumors are buzzing. Leaders and journalists are watching closely.
by Joel C. Rosenberg | October 15, 2020
Sudan's Head of Transitional Military Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, listens to Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during the signing of the power sharing deal, that paves the way for a transitional government, and eventual elections, following the overthrow of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir, in Khartoum, Sudan, August 17, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
Leaders and journalists throughout the Middle East are watching closely today to see if Sudan will become the next Arab nation to announce its intention to normalize relations with Israel.
Wasil Ali, the former deputy editor-in-chief of the Sudan Tribune, Tweeted Wednesday about a “broad outline of US offer to Sudan in return for normalization with Israel. The US administration wants an answer from Khartoum by tomorrow, October 15th.”
The Israeli-based TV news network i24 is reporting that the decision has, in fact, been made.
“The Sudanese Sovereignty Council decided to go ahead with normalizing the country’s ties with Israel, sources close to the Sudanese leadership told i24NEWS,” the network’s website reported. “A source close to the council told the Arabic-language edition of i24NEWS that after a heated discussion late on Wednesday, the council decided to yield to US pressure and forge formal ties with Israel.”
As of 4:00pm Israel time, there has been no official confirmation of that report — not yet, anyway.
Israel’s parliament, meanwhile, is set to overwhelmingly ratify on Thursday the Abraham Accords peace treaty with the United Arab Emirates.
On Aug. 25, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the first-ever direct flight from Israel to Sudan.
There, he encouraged the Sudanese leadership to make peace with Israel.
No decision was forthcoming at the time, but it has been widely reported that one of the matters Sudan wants is to be removed from the US terrorism watch list. A number of experts believe that Sudan has made significant strides in combatting terrorism and that such a move may, in fact, be justified.
A decision by Sudan to normalize relations with Israel — especially ahead of any conclusion to the Palestinian conflict — would be historic on numerous levels.
Sudan would become the fourth Arab country to make peace after Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Just as significant, it was in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum where the Arab League met after the 1967 war with Israel and issued its famous “Three Noes” declaration — no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, and no negotiations with Israel.
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