Israel is working towards a formal friendship with a fifth Muslim country during U.S. President Donald Trump’s term, which ends next month, an Israeli government minister told Ynet on Wednesday.
The White House has cracked down on rapprochements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco this year, with Morocco hosting an Israeli-US delegation on Tuesday to release the update in relations.
LR: Bahrain FM Abdullatif al-Zayani, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and Emirati FM Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the signing of the Abrahamic Treaties at the White House
(Photo: AFP)
Asked if the fifth country could sign up before Trump steps down on Jan. 20, Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis said: “We are working toward that.”
“American knowledge of another country will go public with the normalization of relations with Israel and, of course, with the infrastructure for an agreement – a peace agreement,” he said.
He declined to name the country but said there were two main candidates. One of them is in the Gulf, he said, giving Oman a chance while adding that Saudi Arabia is not.
Minister of Regional Cooperation Ofir Akunis
(Photo: Kobi Koankas)
The other candidate appears to be further east. “A Muslim country that is not small, but not in Pakistan,” Akunis said.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg news agency reported Tuesday that the Trump administration has offered Indonesia a $ 2 billion increase in financial aid it receives from the U.S. as a reward for normalizing ties with the Jewish state.
“If they are ready, they are ready, and if they are then we will be happy to even provide financial support for what we are doing,” Adam Boehler, U.S. Head of Corporate Development Finance USA told Bloomberg.
Indonesian President, Joko Widodo
(Photo: AP)
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, said last week that it would not recognize Israel as long as Palestinian state demands remain unfulfilled.
Palestinians fear that normal ties with Israel with other Arab states will weaken a long-standing pan-Arab situation calling for Israel to pull out of the West Bank and accept Palestinian statehood as a result of normal relations with Arab countries.