Sudan and Israel have agreed to normalize relations, making it the third Arab state to do so as part of US brokered deals in the run-up to Election Day.
The agreement includes a commitment to initial steps on economic and trade relations, with issues such as formal establishment of diplomatic ties and exchange of ambassadors to be resolved later.
President Donald Trump’s decision to remove Sudan from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism helped pave the way for Khartoum to become the latest Arab state to reach a deal with Israel.
The White House announced on Friday that the president formally notified Congress of “his intent to formally rescind Sudan’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.”
It called the move a “pivotal turning point” for Khartoum, which is seeking to emerge from decades of isolation.
The Israel-Sudan deal marks a new foreign policy achievement for Trump as he seeks re-election on November 3, trailing in opinion polls behind Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it a priority to forge ties with formerly hostile countries in Africa and the Arab world in the absence of any progress with the Palestinians during his more than decade in office.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have in recent months normalized ties with Israel- part of Netanyanhu’s strategy to unify Arab countries against their common adversary, Iran.
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