Burhan, Netanyahu discuss normalization of Sudan-Israel relations
February 3, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan and Israel on Monday agreed to work on normalizing bilateral relations, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a meeting in Uganda with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan the head of the Transitional Sovereign Council.
“I met in Entebbe with the Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Buharan, and we agreed to start a cooperation that will normalize relations between the two countries.
“Historical!” Netanyahu concluded.
The meeting between al-Burhan and Netanyahu which was known by a few people in Khartoum was organized by President Yoweri Museveni.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu believes that Sudan is headed in a new positive direction and he expressed his views to the Secretary of State of the United States of America,” said Ofir Gendelman Netanyahu’s spokesman in a separate tweet.
“Al Burhan is eager to help his country modernize by taking it out of isolation and putting it on the world’s map,” Gendleman further stressed.
The head of the Transitional Sovereign Council did not yet issue a statement about his meeting with Netanyahu. However, the meeting would certainly help to foster al-Burhan’s credibility in the United States when he flies to Washington in the upcoming days.
Egypt and Jordan, have established diplomatic relations with Israel after signing peace treaties in 1979 and 1994 respectively.
Leaders of other Arab countries have close relations with Israel without formal diplomatic ties like Morocco and the Sultanate of Oman.
Also, several members of the former Islamist regime showed wiliness to normalize bilateral relations with Israel saying it was in the interest of the country.
In January 2016, former Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour stated that his country “does not mind studying the possibility of normalization with Israel”.
(ST)