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The White House is reportedly trying to help Israel normalize ties with Arab states. After launching the economic portion of its Israeli–Palestinian peace proposal, also known as the «Deal of the Century», the United States is putting together a new initiative to convince Morocco, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Oman to sign non-belligerence agreements with Tel Aviv, Israeli, Arab and US sources told Israel’s Channel 13.
The agreements in question «are an interim step between the secret relations Israel has with those countries now and full diplomatic relations», wrote the Channel 13.
According to the same sources, the Trump administration, arranged, last week, meetings with the ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Morocco in Washington. The President Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser, Victoria Coates, headed these meetings, the same source revealed.
An Israeli project submitted in September in New York
During these meetings, the US advisor discussed the initiative for non-belligerence agreements, said the same sources, adding that Arab ambassadors promised to «report back to their capitals and return soon with an answer».
Channel 13 also revealed that this new initiative was initially suggested by the Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz. The latter has already discussed the agreements in questions with his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates and Oman during the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, held September in New York.
During these meetings, Katz stressed the urgent need of concluding these non-belligerence agreements with Arab countries.
Three months later, the Israeli Foreign Minister discussed the same question, at the White House, with a team headed by Victoria Coates.
For the record, several Arab countries who were approached for the signing of this agreement have officially received Israeli ministers. Indeed, on October 27, 2018, Oman received Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held talks with Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.
These revelations come as US State Secretary Mike Pompeo is expected to visit Morocco, Thursday. Reports proceeding this visit quoted a US Department of State official who suggested that Pompeo will be discussing «normalizing relations with Israel» in Morocco.
