Israel: Bahrain, Oman could follow UAE’s lead and formalize ties

Two more countries could join the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in recognizing Israel’s sovereignty, a top Israeli official said Sunday.

Reuters reported that Israel’s intelligence minister, Eli Cohen, told a state radio station that Bahrain and Oman could soon follow the UAE in signing agreements recognizing Israel’s right to exist, a point of contention for a number of Arab nations in the Middle East and North Africa.

“In the wake of this agreement will come additional agreements, both with more Gulf countries and with Muslim countries in Africa,” Cohen said of the Israel-UAE agreement, according to Reuters.

“I think that Bahrain and Oman are definitely on the agenda. In addition, in my assessment, there is a chance that already in the coming year there will be a peace deal with additional countries in Africa, chief among them, Sudan,” he reportedly added.

Kuwait’s government announced in its own statement that its position on Israel remains unchanged; Kuwait along with other countries in the region have called for Palestine to be recognized as an independent state.

A formal U.S.-brokered agreement to normalize diplomatic relations  between the Israeli government and the UAE was announced last week. The agreement is the first of its kind since the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty. 

The widely popular deal marks a significant victory in the arena of Middle East diplomacy, with both President Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden taking credit for the deal’s foundations.

“This deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East,” President Trump told reporters during a press conference last Thursday. “Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead.”

“The coming together of Israel and Arab states builds on the efforts of multiple administrations to foster a broader Arab-Israeli opening, including the efforts of the Obama-Biden administration to build on the Arab Peace Initiative,” said the former vice president in his own statement.