In Trump diplomatic breakthrough, Sudan normalises Israel ties

New York, Oct 24 (IANS): In another Middle East diplomatic breakthrough for US President Donald Trump, Sudan is normalising relations with Israel in exchange for Washington removing Khartoum from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

On Friday, Sudan became the third Arab nation after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain to normalise relations with Israel in the past three months under the auspices of the US, cutting the tight ring of Arab solidarity around the Palestinians.

Trump made the announcement at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on the phone with him.

Just 11 days before the November 3 presidential election, the Middle East diplomacy is about the only victory for Trump who has not been able to get a nuclear deal with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un after much hyped meetings or trade deals with China or India.

Sudan, which is recovering from civil unrest and the civil war before that which led to South Sudan seceding from it, will be the fifth Arab country to have normal relations with Israel.

The normalising of Israeli ties by the three countries this year ends 26 years of stalemate since Jordan reconnected with it in 1994.

Egypt normalised ties with Israel in 1979.

Netanyahu in a statement in Israel noted the symbolism of Sudan agreeing to set up relations with his country because after the Six-Day War with Egypt, Syria and Jordan in 1967 the Arab countries declared in that country’s capital, Khartoum, that they would not negotiate or make peace with Israel or recognise it.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the normalisation of relations with Israel while it occupied Palestinian territories, according to a statement from his office.

Saudi Arabia has helped Trump with his round of Middle East diplomacy, while itself staying in the background and not overtly setting up relations with Israel.

Saudi Arabia and UAE have been major donors for Sudan recently.

Sudan is emerging from a period of unrest that led to the overthrow of the 30-year dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir and the setting up of a transition mechanism after a deadly crackdown on civilian protesters by the military and conclusion of a political agreement between them.

A joint US-Israel-Sudan statement issued by the White House said: “After decades of living under a brutal dictatorship, the people of Sudan are finally taking charge. The Sudanese transitional government has demonstrated its courage and commitment to combating terrorism, building its democratic institutions, and improving its relations with its neighbours.”

After Trump announced lifting of sanctions against Sudan for promoting terrorist activities under al-Bashir, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the country had fulfilled the requirements for being taken off the terrorism-supporter list.

Palestine slams Sudan-Israel normalisation

Palestinian authorities have slammed Sudan’s decision to normalise ties with Israel in exchange for the US to remove Khartoum from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

On Friday, Sudan became the third Arab nation after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain to normalise relations with Israel in the past three months under the auspices of the US.

US President Donald Trump made the announcement at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on the phone with him.

Sudan, which is recovering from civil unrest and the civil war before that which led to South Sudan seceding from it, will be the fifth Arab country to have normal relations with Israel.

The normalising of Israeli ties by the three countries this year ends 26 years of stalemate since Jordan reconnected with it in 1994.

Egypt normalised ties with Israel in 1979.

But condemning and rejecting Sudan’s decision, the Palestinian Presidency said: “No one has the right to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause.”

It also said that the path to a comprehensive and just peace must be based on international law, resolutions of international legitimacy, and specific references, in a way that leads to ending the Israeli occupation of the land of Palestine, Xinhua news agency.

“The Palestinian leadership will take the necessary decisions to protect the legitimate interests and rights of our Palestinian people.”

Wasel Abu Youssef, the member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s Executive Committee, told reporters that the development was a “new stab in the back of the Palestinian people”.

He added that Sudan’s move represents a “betrayal of the just Palestinian cause and a departure from the Arab peace initiative”.

Hazem Qassem, the Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a press statement that “normalization of relations between Sudan and the occupation state is a political sin, harms our Palestinian people and their just cause”.

The Islamic Jihad movement said that Sudan runs toward Israel and pays huge sums of money to obtain America’s satisfaction at the expense of the poor and displaced Sudanese.