Oman Urges Israel to Work Towards Establishing an Independent Palestinian State

Oman's state media reported on Thursday that the Omani Foreign Minister informed his Israeli counterpart that he hopes the new Israeli government will take concrete steps towards establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Omani news agency noted that Minister Badr al-Busaidi spoke via telephone with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Oman has long maintained a policy of neutrality and often plays a mediating role in the troubled region. In February, al-Busaidi stated that Oman was satisfied with its current relationship with Israel, despite the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalizing relations with Israel last year under agreements brokered by the United States. Lapid is scheduled to travel to the UAE next week for the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the UAE since diplomatic relations were established between the two parties. The minister will inaugurate the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Israeli consulate general in Dubai.