Pompeo ‘hopeful’ more Arab states will normalise Israel ties

JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday praised Israel’s normalisation of ties with the UAE and said he hoped to see other Arab countries follow suit.

“I’m very hopeful that we will see other Arab nations join in this,” he said in Jerusalem, standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Netanyahu said the deal with the Emirates, brokered by US President Donald Trump, “was a boon to peace and regional stability”.

“I think it heralds a new era where we could have other nations join,” he added. “I hope we’ll have good news in the future, maybe in the near future.”Pompeo spoke of the opportunity awaiting future partners “to work alongside, to recognise the State of Israel”. It was the first day of a Mideast tour which the State Department said would also take Pompeo to Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

It said that he would meet Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to “express support for deepening the Sudan-Israel relationship”. Pompeo will also meet Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa before meeting UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, it said.

Meanwhile, Islamist group Hamas called on regional leaders to “break their silence” on Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Israel has bombed the coastal Palestinian strip, which is ruled by the group, almost daily since August 6, while balloons carrying fire bombs and, less frequently, rocket fire have hit Israel from Gaza.

In retaliation for the balloon attacks and the widespread blazes on farms and scrubland they have caused, Israel has tightened its 13-year blockade of Gaza’s two million inhabitants. It has banned Gaza fishermen from going to sea and closed its goods crossing with the territory, prompting the closure of Gaza’s sole power plant for want of fuel. Hamas in a statement called the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing a “crime against humanity” and called on the international community and “decision-makers in the region” to “break their silence to bring an end” to the blockade.

Hamas also said that the normalisation of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates helps “maintain crimes and violations” against the Palestinians. Pompeo touched down in Tel Aviv on Monday morning to kick off a five-day trip to the Middle East. His visit will focus on Israel’s normalising diplomatic ties with the UAE, seen as a betrayal by many Palestinians, and urging other Arab states to follow suit.