Oman’s Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi spoke to Israeli and Palestinian officials late on Monday and reiterated his support for a comprehensive settlement to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Mr Bin Alawi spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi to discuss the latest regional developments days after the UAE and Israel agreed to begin normalising relations in exchange for a halt on all annexation of Palestinian lands.
“The Sultanate’s firm and supportive position was clearly affirmed [on the need to] achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East and the need to resume the peace process negotiations and to fulfil the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry said.
Mr Ashkenazi said on Twitter the pair had discussed the UAE-Israeli peace accord.
Oman backed the Abraham Accord, brokered by the US, saying the decision will “contribute to fulfilling comprehensive, fair and durable peace in the Middle East.”
The duo “agreed to maintain direct and continual contact and to continue the important dialogue between our two countries to advance the process of normalisation in the Middle East,” Mr Ashkenazi said.
He said the conversation was a continuation of a discussion that he held with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
Mr bin Alawi then spoke with Jibril Rajoub, the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Fatah party, and the Palestinian official expressed appreciation for the role of Oman in its balanced policy towards issues in the region and particularly the peace process.
While Oman doesn’t officially recognise the state of Israel, the two countries have had on-and-off trade and diplomatic relations since 1994. Ties were cooled in the 2000s after the outbreak of the second intifada.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Oman in 2018 to meet Sultan Qaboos and after the visit Mr bin Alawi described Israel as an "accepted Middle East state."
Upon the death of Sultan Qaboos, Mr Netanyahu described the late Omani leader as “a great man”.
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
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UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
