Israel-Sudan relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and Sudan

Israel
Sudan

Israel and Sudan relations refers to diplomatic ties between Israel and Sudan. In October 2020, the two countries announced that they would establish diplomatic relations. In February 2023 they established diplomatic relations officially.[1]

Until April 20, 2021, Sudan had a law since 1958 that forbid establishing relations with Israel, and outlawed business with citizens of Israel as well as business relationships with Israeli companies or companies with Israeli interests. The law also forbade the direct or indirect import of any Israeli goods.[2][3][4]

History

The 1922 census of Palestine lists 37 Sudanese language speakers in Mandatory Palestine (35 in Jerusalem-Jaffa and 2 in Northern), including 36 in municipal areas (35 in Jerusalem and 1 in Haifa).[5]

Sudan went to war with Israel in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the Six-Day War in 1967, though it did not participate in the Suez Crisis. In the early 1950s, Sudan – then still not independent – had active trade relations with Israel.[6]

Sudan did not actively participate in the Yom Kippur War, as Sudanese forces arrived too late to participate. Israel backed Christian militias that fought the Sudanese government in the First and Second Sudanese Civil Wars.

Normalization

In January 2016, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour floated normalized ties with Israel provided the U.S. government lifted economic sanctions.[7] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir followed that up by saying in an interview with Saudi newspaper Okaz, "Even if Israel had conquered Syria, it would not have inflicted the destruction taking place there right now, would not have killed the number of people killed so far and would not have expelled people the way they are being expelled now."[8]

Israel flew medics and equipment to Sudan to try to save a diplomat, Najwa Gadah Aldam, who worked as a political adviser to the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni, when she was infected and later died from COVID-19.[9]

It was revealed in early September 2016 that Israel had contacted the U.S. government and other Western countries and encouraged them to take steps to improve relations with Sudan in the wake of the break in relations between the Arab-African country and Iran in the prior year.[10] Kara later revealed at an event in Beersheba that he was maintaining contacts with many Sudanese officials, and did not deny that a Sudanese official had recently visited Israel.[11] In February 2020, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met in Uganda, where they agreed to normalize the ties between the two countries.[12] Later that month, Israeli planes were allowed to fly over Sudan.[13]

On 22 October 2020, an Israeli delegation visited Sudan, where they met with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for talks on the normalization of ties between the two countries.[14] On 23 October 2020, Israel and Sudan agreed to a deal to normalize ties.[15][16] In the meantime, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed the normalization agreement.[17]

On 2 February 2023, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen visited Khartoum and agreed with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to sign the normalization of relations in Washington, D.C. in a few months' time.[18]

On April 16, 2023, it was announced that Israel, through the Mossad and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, is participating in the mediation and calming efforts between the RSF and the army following the outbreak of fighting between the two groups. Against the background of the peace agreement that is taking shape with Sudan, Israel is in contact with the two leaders of the factions in the conflict - the head of the Sudanese Military Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on the one hand, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the RSF, on the other. Israeli officials were sure that there would be a signing of agreements for the establishment of a government that would finalize the normalization with Israel even before Eid al-Fitr on April 20, and that the government would be established by the end of May, but they were surprised by the outbreak of violent conflict that could damage the process.[19]

On October 7, 2023, Israel supported the RSF with its weapons, such as the LAR-160.[20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Israel thinks Burhan's coup is a chance for closer Sudan ties - but it will have to wait". Middle East Eye. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Sudan working to cancel Israel boycott law - report". The Jerusalem Post. 23 January 2021.
  3. ↑ "Sudanese cabinet votes to repeal 1958 Israel boycott law - statement". Arab News. 6 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Sudan repeals 1958 Israel boycott law amid normalization efforts". The Times of Israel. 19 April 2021.
  5. ↑ Palestine Census ( 1922).
  6. ↑ Gabriel R. Warburg: The Sudan and Israel – An Episode in Bilateral Relations, in: Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 28, No. 2 (April 1992), pp. 385–396. Available here.
  7. ↑ Surkes, Sue (21 January 2016). "Sudan said willing to consider normalizing ties with Israel". The Times of Israel.
  8. ↑ Eldar, Akiva (17 March 2016). "Will Israel revive its relationship with Khartoum?". Al-Monitor.
  9. ↑ "Israeli MDs fly to enemy Sudan in failed bid to save diplomat behind secret ties". The Times of Israel. 28 May 2020.
  10. ↑ Ravid, Barak (7 September 2016). "Israel Urges U.S., Europe to Bolster Ties With Sudan, Citing Apparent Split With Iran". Haaretz.
  11. ↑ "معاريف: مسؤول سوداني زار تل أبيب.. ووزير إسرائيلي: 'لا تورطوني'". صدى البلد. 25 February 2017.
  12. ↑ Landau, Noa (3 February 2020). "Netanyahu, Sudanese Leader Meet in Uganda, Agree to Start Normalizing Ties". Haaretz.
  13. ↑ Williams, Dan (16 February 2020). "Netanyahu says Israeli planes have started overflying Sudan". Reuters.
  14. ↑ "Israel delegation visits Sudan in push to normalise ties". Al Jazeera. 22 October 2020.
  15. ↑ "Sudan-Israel relations agreed, Donald Trump announces". BBC News. 24 October 2020. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  16. ↑ Steinhauser, Gabriele; Bariyo, Nicholas (23 October 2020). "Israel-Sudan Deal: Sudan Removed From U.S. Terrorism List". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "Egypt's Sisi welcomes normalising of ties between Sudan and Israel: tweet". Reuters. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  18. ↑ Berg, Raffi (2 February 2023). "Israel says Sudan peace deal to be signed in Washington". BBC News.
  19. ↑ Eichner, Itamar (16 April 2023). "With the involvement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mossad: Israel participates in the efforts to bring about calm in Sudan". YNET News.
  20. ↑ "Israeli artillery seen with RSF forces - Military Africa". 7 October 2023.
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