The Trump administration is continuing its efforts to bring more Arab and Muslim countries into the Abraham Accords, in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have already agreed to normalize relations with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday night, after Bhutan agreed to forged ties with Israel outside of the framework of the accords, that Israel is “in touch with additional countries that want to join and establish relations with us.”
Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis confirmed to Army Radio on Sunday morning that Vice President Mike Pence would visit Israel in January 2021. According to Akunis, during his visit, Pence may announce that another country will establish relations with Israel.
The source identified Oman and Indonesia as two countries with which talks have advanced and with whom normalization could be announced before US President Donald Trump leaves office on 20th January 2021.
On Friday, Oman welcomed the announcement of ties between Israel and Morocco, expressing hope that they will further endeavor to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
Netanyahu visited Oman in 2018 and met with its then-leader, the late Sultan Qaboos. Israel had enjoyed unofficial trade relations with Oman during 1994-2000, and the countries cooperate in opposing Iranian aggression.
Israel and Indonesia do not have formal diplomatic relations but there is trade and tourism between them and Indonesia bought arms from Israel in the 1970s and 1980s and Indonesian soldiers were trained in Israel.
Then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin met Indonesian president Suharto in Jakarta in 1993.
Contrary to Hebrew media reports, the diplomatic source said normalization with Saudi Arabia was unlikely before US President-elect Joe Biden enters office, although the Saudis have given tacit approval to other parts of the Abraham Accords
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