The Economist: Oman Welcomes Netanyahu

As exemplified by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to the Arab Gulf, the relationship between Israel and Gulf states has undergone a distinct improvement in recent years. Netanyahu’s Gulf visit marks the first by an Israeli prime minister in more than 20 years. The Economist reports that responses to photographs of Netanyahu’s reception by Sultan Qaboos of Oman in Muscat, and of Israeli culture and sports minister, Miri Regev, alongside Emirati officials in Abu Dhabi at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, have drawn a range of reactions from “positive surprise to angry bemusement.” The Israeli government has complete diplomatic relations with only two Arab nations, Egypt and Jordan. As divisive issues like Palestine are pushed to the side, “a common enemy, Iran, has brought [Israel] closer to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.” While Oman has retained its ties to Iran, some officials suspect that it might play a role as interlocutor between Israel and the Islamic Republic. – YaleGlobal