As soon as Saudi Arabia joins the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan in the Abraham Accords, “six or seven” Islamic countries are anticipated to sign a normalization deal with Tel Aviv, said Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
Cohen told KAN News on Friday, September 22, “Six or seven countries from Africa and Asia will join the peace deal with the Saudis.”
Israel’s top ambassador continued without naming the countries. “I’m telling you, I have met with several officials from Muslim nations with which Israel does not have formal ties.”
A big diplomatic dispute with Libya was started less than a month ago by Cohen, whose office revealed that he held a meeting in Rome with the country’s former foreign minister, Najla Mangoush.
As a result of the finding, which also led to sizable protests across North Africa, Mangoush was sacked and fled to London. After realizing their mistake, US officials censured Cohen for “killing” the line of contact with Libya, according to The Cradle.
Israeli media also quoted a Mossad operative who said Cohen’s activities “dealt great damage to the relationships developed [with Libya] in previous years,” adding, “He torched the bridge. It’s beyond repair.
Cohen’s media interview came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly, during which he said that Israel is “on the cusp” of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia while brandishing maps that depicted the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights as being a part of Israel.
According to Fox News, Netanyahu later said that Israel’s chances of reaching a deal in the upcoming months are slim due to the White House’s haste to finalize the normalization pact before the 2024 US election cycle.
Before reiterating statements he made at the UNGA, Netanyahu said, “We must not give the Palestinians a veto over new peace treaties with Arab states.” Netanyahu continued, “I am willing to consider benefits to the Palestinians without jeopardizing the peace of Israel.”
The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who stated that a normalization accord is “getting closer” every day, echoed Netanyahu’s comments earlier this week.
His comments, however, came two days after the Saudi foreign minister highlighted that any peace deal with Israel must include the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
