Oman is expected to send representative to White House signing ceremony, official says

The move will likely fuel speculation that Oman could be the next Gulf state to sign a normalisation deal with Israel

WASHINGTON:

Oman is expected to send a representative to Tuesday’s White House ceremony where Israel will sign normalization deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, a senior administration official said.

The official said Oman’s ambassador to the United States was expected to attend. The development was likely to fuel speculation that Oman could be the next Gulf state to sign a normalization deal with Israel.

Israel’s intelligence minister said a few days after the UAE-Israel accord was announced on August 13 that Oman could also formalise ties with the country. Oman has welcomed the UAE and Bahraini decisions, but has not commented on its own prospects for normalised relations.

Oman welcomes Bahrain’s normalisatio relations with Israel

Oman welcomes Bahrain’s decision to normalise relations with Israel and hopes it will contribute to Israeli-Palestinian peace, Oman state media said on Sunday.

Bahrain on Friday became the second Gulf country to normalise ties with Israel after the United Arab Emirates said they would do so a month ago, moves forged partly through shared fears of Iran.

“[Oman] hopes this new strategic path taken by some Arab countries will contribute to bringing about a peace based on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and on establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital,” the government statement said.