Said Amouri
October 23, 2020•Update: October 24, 2020
JERUSALEM
In a Friday phone call, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly welcomed the announcement of a normalization agreement with Sudan, the third in a series of controversial normalization deals with Arab nations.
In a phone call with US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu reportedly said, "We will expand the circle of peace under your leadership,” according to Israeli news website Kan.
Using his derogatory nickname for his Democratic rival in the Nov. 3 elections, Trump reportedly replied: "Do you think sleepy Joe Biden could sign such a deal?”
Trump announced Friday that Sudan had agreed to open full diplomatic relations with Israel, making it the third nation in recent months to do so, after Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Prior to the most recent developments, Egypt and Jordan were the sole Arab nations to have relations with Tel Aviv. Egypt did so in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
On Sept. 15, Bahrain and the UAE agreed to establish full diplomatic, cultural and commercial relations with Israel after signing controversial agreements at the White House.
The deals have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who say the accords ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.
*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara
