Israel–Sudan relations

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Israel-Sudan relations
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Israel and Sudan relations refers to diplomatic ties between Israel and Sudan. In October 2020, the two countries announced that they would establish diplomatic relations. [1] On 2 February 2023, they officially finalized a deal to normalize relations. [2]

Contents

Until April 20, 2021, Sudan had a law since 1958 that forbid establishing relations with Israel, and outlawed business with citizens of Israel as well as business relationships with Israeli companies or companies with Israeli interests. The law also forbade the direct or indirect import of any Israeli goods. [3] [4] [5]

History

Sudan went to war with Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, though it did not participate in the Suez Crisis.[ citation needed ] In the early 1950s, Sudan – then still not independent – had active trade relations with Israel. [6]

Sudan did not actively participate in the Yom Kippur War. Israel backed Christian militias that fought the Sudanese government in the First and Second Sudanese Civil Wars.[ citation needed ]

Normalization

In January 2016, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour floated normalized ties with Israel provided the U.S. government lifted economic sanctions. [7] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir followed that up by saying in an interview with Saudi newspaper Okaz , "Even if Israel had conquered Syria, it would not have inflicted the destruction taking place there right now, would not have killed the number of people killed so far and would not have expelled people the way they are being expelled now." [8]

Israel flew medics and equipment to Sudan to try to save a diplomat, Najwa Gadah Aldam, who worked as a political adviser to the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni, when she was infected and later died from COVID-19. [9]

It was revealed in early September 2016 that Israel had contacted the U.S. government and other Western countries and encouraged them to take steps to improve relations with Sudan in the wake of the break in relations between the Arab-African country and Iran in the prior year. [10] Kara later revealed at an event in Beersheba that he was maintaining contacts with many Sudanese officials, and did not deny that a Sudanese official had recently visited Israel. [11] In February 2020, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met in Uganda, where they agreed to normalize the ties between the two countries. [12] Later that month, Israeli planes were allowed to fly over Sudan. [13]

On 22 October 2020, an Israeli delegation visited Sudan, where they met with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for talks on the normalization of ties between the two countries. [14] On 23 October 2020, Israel and Sudan agreed to a deal to normalize ties. [15] [16] In the meantime, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed the normalization agreement. [17]

On 2 February 2023, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen visited Khartoum and agreed with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to sign the normalization of relations in Washington, D.C. in a few months' time. [18]

On 16 April 2023, it was announced that Israel, through the Mossad and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, is participating in the mediation and calming efforts between the RSF and the army following the outbreak of fighting between the two groups. Against the background of the peace agreement that is taking shape with Sudan, Israel is in contact with the two leaders of the factions in the conflict - the head of the Sudanese Military Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on the one hand, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the RSF, on the other. Israeli officials were sure that there would be a signing of agreements for the establishment of a government that would finalize the normalization with Israel even before Eid al-Fitr on April 20, and that the government would be established by the end of May, but they were surprised by the outbreak of violent conflict that could damage the process. [19]

See also

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The following lists events that happened during 2020 in Sudan.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement</span> 2020 agreement between Israel and Bahrain

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The Israel–Sudan normalization agreement is an agreement that took place on October 23, 2020, whereby Israel and Sudan agreed that they will normalize relations. It is not clear if the deal establishes full diplomatic relations between the two nations. According to Axios reporting on March 10, 2021, "While Israel has presented Sudan with a draft agreement for establishing diplomatic relations, the Sudanese want an endorsement from the Biden administration." The agreement came after the agreements of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed with Israel in September 2020. Unlike the latter two, Sudan had sent troops to fight against Israel in major Arab-Israeli wars and considered Israel an enemy state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab–Israeli normalization</span> Peace efforts between Arab states and Israel

Since the 1970s, there has been a parallel effort made to find terms upon which peace can be agreed to in the Arab–Israeli conflict and also specifically the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Over the years, numerous Arab League countries have signed peace and normalization treaties with Israel, beginning with the Egypt–Israel peace treaty (1979). Despite the failure to implement the Israeli–Lebanese peace accords (1983), more treaties continued with the Israeli–Palestinian peace process (1991–present), the Israel–Jordan peace treaty (1994), the Abraham Accords normalizing relations between Israel–United Arab Emirates and Israel–Bahrain (2020), the Israel–Sudan normalization agreement (2020) and the Israel–Morocco normalization agreement (2020). Moreover, numerous Arab League members established semi-official relations with Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Morocco normalization agreement</span> 2020 agreement between Israel and Morocco

The Israel–Morocco normalization agreement is an agreement announced by the United States government on December 10, 2020, in which Israel and Morocco agreed to begin normalizing relations. On December 22, 2020, a joint declaration was signed pledging to quickly begin direct flights, promote economic cooperation, reopen liaison offices and establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Events in the year 2021 in Sudan.

References

  1. "Israel thinks Burhan's coup is a chance for closer Sudan ties - but it will have to wait". Middle East Eye. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. "Israel, Sudan announce deal to normalise relations". Reuters. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  3. "Sudan working to cancel Israel boycott law - report". The Jerusalem Post. 23 January 2021.
  4. "Sudanese cabinet votes to repeal 1958 Israel boycott law - statement". Arab News. 6 April 2021.
  5. "Sudan repeals 1958 Israel boycott law amid normalization efforts". The Times of Israel. 19 April 2021.
  6. Gabriel R. Warburg: The Sudan and Israel – An Episode in Bilateral Relations, in: Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 28, No. 2 (April 1992), pp. 385–396. Available here.
  7. Surkes, Sue (21 January 2016). "Sudan said willing to consider normalizing ties with Israel". The Times of Israel.
  8. Eldar, Akiva (17 March 2016). "Will Israel revive its relationship with Khartoum?". Al-Monitor.
  9. "Israeli MDs fly to enemy Sudan in failed bid to save diplomat behind secret ties". The Times of Israel. 28 May 2020.
  10. Ravid, Barak (7 September 2016). "Israel Urges U.S., Europe to Bolster Ties With Sudan, Citing Apparent Split With Iran". Haaretz.
  11. "معاريف: مسؤول سوداني زار تل أبيب.. ووزير إسرائيلي: 'لا تورطوني'". صدى البلد. 25 February 2017.
  12. Landau, Noa (3 February 2020). "Netanyahu, Sudanese Leader Meet in Uganda, Agree to Start Normalizing Ties". Haaretz.
  13. Williams, Dan (16 February 2020). "Netanyahu says Israeli planes have started overflying Sudan". Reuters.
  14. "Israel delegation visits Sudan in push to normalise ties". Al Jazeera. 22 October 2020.
  15. "Sudan-Israel relations agreed, Donald Trump announces". BBC News . 24 October 2020. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  16. Steinhauser, Gabriele; Bariyo, Nicholas (23 October 2020). "Israel-Sudan Deal: Sudan Removed From U.S. Terrorism List". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  17. "Egypt's Sisi welcomes normalising of ties between Sudan and Israel: tweet". Reuters. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  18. Berg, Raffi (2 February 2023). "Israel says Sudan peace deal to be signed in Washington". BBC News.
  19. Eichner, Itamar (16 April 2023). "With the involvement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mossad: Israel participates in the efforts to bring about calm in Sudan". Ynet.