On the road to peace: Arab diplomats estimate that the Gulf princesses will soon sign a normalization agreement with Israel • Saudi Arabia will probably remain committed to the Palestinian issue
A few hours after the end of the cabinet meeting at which the decision to impose the closure was made, Prime Minister Netanyahu took off last night for the United States, where he will participate tomorrow in the signing ceremony of the peace agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Mossad chief Yossi Cohen on his way to the signing ceremony of the peace agreement in Washington
The event will be held at the White House in Washington, D.C., in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump and the two foreign ministers, Abdullah bin Zayd and Dr. Abdulthif bin Rashid Al-Zayani.
The intriguing part of the event will be the participation of some Arab ambassadors who still have no ties with Israel, and are expected to arrive.
Political sources in Washington also confirmed earlier that Bahrain's heir, Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, would also attend the ceremony.
The prime minister said yesterday that "we have two historic peace agreements, established within a month. I am sure we all welcome the new era we are at."
But while in Washington they are getting ready and preparing for the triple signing ceremony - in Ramallah they are frowning.
Pictures of Bahraini and UAE rulers were burned, expressing feelings of anger and disappointment in the face of the cold shoulder of most moderate Arab states to the cries of frustration over the crushing of the Palestinian state’s vision.
Prime Minister Netanyahu announces agreement with Bahrain
In the Arab media, as well as among Arab diplomats, the question arises as to who will be the other Arab countries that will sign peace agreements or full normalization of relations with Israel, since Jared Kushner - who was the architect of the tripartite agreement - has repeatedly stated that other Arab countries are interested in full normalization of Their relations with Israel, and that such agreements will be signed soon.
In light of the announcement by the Principality of Oman that it welcomes Bahrain's accession to the agreement, the prevailing opinion among senior Arab diplomats is that Oman will soon sign a full normalization agreement with Israel, which will include the establishment of diplomatic missions and direct flights.
However, a senior Arab official in Abu Dhabi told Israel Today that Oman is one of the few countries in the political sphere in the Persian Gulf that is conducting a positive dialogue with the Ayatollah regime in Tehran.
Another diplomatic source stressed: "The reason why open and full relations have not yet been established is the reasonable possibility that Oman's relations with Iran will be significantly harmed."
He added that part of Bahrain's considerations for joining the agreement were fears of Tehran's reaction since Bahrain controls a Sunni monarchy over a population two - thirds of which is Shiite, while Iran has never concealed its territorial aspirations.
However, "after the UAE reached an agreement with Israel with the support of Saudi Arabia, Manama also realized that they could count on the Riyadh backing and the guarantees from Washington and join the historic agreement that all parties would benefit from, so it is pretty clear more countries will join soon."
Arab diplomats also agree that Saudi Arabia will not move to full and open normalization, given its commitment to the Palestinian issue.
