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Israel preoccupied with domestic ills as ties warm with Khartoum

Israel and Sudan have agreed to establish diplomatic relations, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be celebrating alone as the news media focus on the coronavirus crisis and wide demonstrations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint statement to the press with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (unseen) after meeting in Jerusalem, on August 24, 2020. - Pompeo arrived in Israel kicking off a five-day visit to the Middle East which will take him to Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, focusing on Israel's normalising of ties with the UAE and pushing other Arab states to follow suit. (Photo by DEBBIE HILL / various sources / AFP) (Photo by DEBBIE HILL/AFP via Getty Im

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a press conference Saturday night to formally announce the establishment of diplomatic relations with Sudan. The news first broke with an Oct. 23 phone call between US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu and the two Sudanese leaders: head of the Transitional Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdoc. As the phone call took place as Shabbat started in Israel, Netanyahu had to wait a day to personally share the news.

Netanyahu begun his press conference by saying that Sudan was an enemy state for many years, that it participated in a war against Israel and that Iran had used Sudanese territory to smuggle arms to Hamas. He said that peace with Sudan would bring economic benefits for Israel, that normalizing ties will "be good for our pockets." Netanyahu presented a map showing how Israeli planes will now be able to fly over Sudan on a faster route to South America, noting that the change will "save many flying hours and so lots of money." Netanyahu called the deal with Sudan part of a "diplomatic tsunami" and expects more countries to follow suit in the coming days. News analysts noted during the weekend that Trump’s administration might press for one more agreement with Israel before Nov. 3.

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