Israeli Prime Minister Visits Oman

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Visits Oman, the first such visit by an Israeli prime minister in 22 years and a sign of closer ties for Israel with an influential Persian Gulf nation that has long acted as a regional mediator. Israel is a country in the Middle East, bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Mediterranean…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Visits Oman, the first such visit by an Israeli prime minister in 22 years and a sign of closer ties for Israel with an influential Persian Gulf nation that has long acted as a regional mediator.

Background

Israel is a country in the Middle East, bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. The area has a rich history that dates to the pre-biblical times and was a part of the Roman and then the Byzantine empires, before falling under the Islamic Caliphate in the seventh century. The region then was an Islamic region known as Palestine until the fall of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, after which it fell under the British Mandate from the League of Nations.

The old city of Jerusalem is also home to the Temple Mount or the Al Aqsa Mosque a holy site for both the Jews and Arabs and the main point of conflict between these two lands. The Temple Mount was initially controlled by the Israelis’ till they handed it back to the Waqf board after the Six-Day War, but the Israeli troops continued to keep security troops around the Mount.

To ensure peace in the region several peace accords have been signed such as the UN Security Council Resolution 242, 1967 which called for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict. In the Camp David Accords of 1978, The Oslo Agreement, 1993,  where both Israelis and Palestinians spoke directly, and it was agreed that Israel would withdraw its troops from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Analysis

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to Israel from Oman on Friday, the first such visit by an Israeli prime minister in 22 years and a sign of closer ties for Israel with an influential Persian Gulf nation that has long acted as a regional go-between.

The meeting late Thursday with Oman’s ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, was publicized by both sides only after Mr. Netanyahu had landed back in Israel. The two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Oman closed an Israeli trade office in Oman in 2000 because of animosity over the second Palestinian uprising. For Mr. Netanyahu, improved relations with Oman could offer a back channel for communication with some of Israel’s enemies in the region.

Located at the foot of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman has carefully managed to maintain cordial relations with countries that are adversaries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. It hosted secret talks between Iran and the United States in 2013 that paved the way for broader negotiations to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and there was speculation in Israel on Friday that Oman could serve as a back channel between Israel and Iran, Israel’s archenemy.

A senior Israeli official who is well acquainted with the details of the visit, and who requested anonymity in order to discuss classified issues, said that given Oman’s image as an honest broker to all countries in the region there was a possibility that the now-public relationship with Mr. Netanyahu could open more doors for Israel. The official said he did not rule out the possibility that Oman could become a secret channel for Israel not just with Iran but also with Syria. Oman also maintains good relations with Israel’s other enemies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

The visit was the fruit of four months of negotiations, according to the Israeli official, and follows many years of secret relations between Israel and Oman, led by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and Sultan Qaboos, who has led Oman since 1970.

Mr. Netanyahu’s visit came days after the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was in Oman. Sultan Qaboos has expressed interest in mediating between the Palestinians and Israel. But Ehud Yaari, an Israel-based fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Israel was more interested in Oman as a conduit to Tehran.

Mr. Netanyahu’s visit came days after the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was in Oman. Sultan Qaboos has expressed interest in mediating between the Palestinians and Israel. However, Ehud Yaari, an Israel-based fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Israel was more interested in Oman as a conduit to Tehran.

Assessment

Our assessment is that this visit is a vindication for Mr. Netanyahu, who leads a government dominated by right-wing and religious parties and is under fire from opposition parties and foreign governments for Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian protesters. We believe that Israel’s efforts to set up a back channel with Iran are founded in strategic realism, especially with the rising casualties and refugees in the Syrian Civil War.