‘‘On Friday, my wife and I returned from a historic diplomatic visit to Oman. I met with the leader of Oman; Sultan Qaboos bin Said, a very experienced and impressive man,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu travelled to Oman for what amounted to the first official visit of an Israeli leader to the Gulf state since Shimon Peres travelled there in 1996 as Prime Minister. The meeting was kept a secret until Netanyahu returned to Israel on Friday afternoon.
”This visit comes against the background of diplomatic efforts that I have been promoting in recent years vis-a-vis the Arab countries. In our long meeting we discussed in detail the challenges facing the Middle East. These were important talks – both for the State of Israel and very important talks for Israel’s security. There will be more,” Netanyahu said.
“This visit is a significant step in implementing the policy outlined by Prime Minister Netanyahu to strengthen ties with the countries of the region, while leveraging Israel’s advantages in security, technology and the economy,” read a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, adding that Netanyahu and Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said discussed “ways to advance the peace process in the Middle East and discussed a number of issues of mutual interest for peace and stability in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu’s visit came just a few days after Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu-Mazen) visited the Gulf state on Sunday, and was reportedly aimed at finding ways for Oman to contribute to the peace process.
After the meeting, Oman Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi called upon the various Arab states to accept and recognize Israel as a major player in the region.
“Israel is a state present in the region, and we all understand this. The world is also aware of this and maybe it is time for Israel to be treated the same [as other states]and to also bear the same obligations,” bin Alawi said while speaking at the IISS Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain on Friday, “We are not saying that the road is now easy and paved with flowers, but our priority is to put an end to the conflict and move to a new world,” he added.