Secret visit to Oman signals a thaw in Israel-gulf Arab ties

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU secretly visited Oman, the Israeli government announced yesterday in the clearest sign yet of the warming ties between Israel and the Gulf Arab states.

Like most Arab countries, Oman has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel and it is rare for an Israeli leader to visit any of the neighbouring Middle Eastern countries.

However, Israel has been making increasingly intense contact with the Gulf Arab states through secret channels, motivated largely by a shared opposition to Iran.

Mr Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife and senior Israeli security officials, was received by Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The visit was made public only after the Israeli delegation had returned home, and it was prominently highlighted on Oman state media. Arab governments often prefer to keep their contact with Israel discreet.

Two previous Israeli prime ministers have made visits to Oman but this was the first since 1996. Mr Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister and the sultan discussed “ways to advance the peace process in the Middle East” as well as other issues of joint interest.

The Israeli government hailed the visit as “a significant step” in Mr Netanyahu’s policy of “deepening relations with the states of the region”. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, visited Oman several days before Mr Netanyahu, raising the possibility that the sultan had carried messages between the two sides.

Oman has often mediated between rival nations. Secret talks between the US and Iran before the nuclear agreement were held in Oman in 2013.