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Israel engaging 4 Muslim nations to expand Abraham Accords

07 March 2023 18:13 (UTC +04:00)

Israel is working to expand the Abraham Accords with four other nations, APA reports citing Israel Hayom.

Sources said that Foreign Minister Eli Cohen was working to normalize ties with Mauritania, Somalia, Niger and Indonesia.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is – of course – also involved in efforts behind the scenes, as are United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Amos Hochstein, who mediated the Israel-Lebanon maritime deal during the Bennett-Lapid government.

Negotiations with Mauritania are in the advanced state, as Cohen hinted last week in a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during which he officially asked her to help Israel with the breakthrough vis-a-vis Mauritania and Niger.

Israel and Mauritania used to have diplomatic relations – established in 1999 – but cut ties in 2008 due to the Gaza war.

Israel and Somalia have never had diplomatic ties, but over the past year, reports have said that the country's president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is interested in establishing them. Jerusalem too is interested due to Somalia's important strategic location between the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean at the entrance to the Red Sea.