Arab states, mainly from the Gulf, are said to be planning to sign a «non-belligerence agreement» with Israel. While a former Prime Minister of Qatar says that Morocco is reportedly one of the countries to sign the deal, Rabat refuses to break its silence on the matter. Qatar's former Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani said, Sunday, on his Twitter account that a non-aggression agreement with Israel might be signed by Arab countries as a follow up to the «peace plan», announced by the Trump Administration earlier this year to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. «The next step of the deal of the century will be followed by a non-aggression agreement between Israel and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in addition to Egypt, Jordan and possibly Morocco», the politician stated. نشرت بتاريخ 14 ديسمبر من العام الماضي تغريده تحدثت فيها عن صفقة القرن وقلت إنها ستعلن بداية هذا العام. والآن سيتبعها اتفاقية عدم اعتداء بين إسرائيل ودول مجلس التعاون الخليجي بالإضافة إلى مصر والأردن وربما المغرب. — حمد بن جاسم بن جبر (@hamadjjalthani) February 9, 2020 «These countries aim, via these promises [steps], to come closer to the U.S., although they know that the deal will be opposed by the majority in the Arab League», bin Jaber added, without giving further explanations. An agreement amready discussed in Washington It is not the first time that this «non-aggression» agreement makes it to the news. In December 2019, Israeli channel Channel13 revealed that the United States is putting together a new initiative to convince Morocco, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Oman to sign non-belligerence agreements with Tel Aviv, quoting Israeli, Arab and US sources. The agreements in question «are an interim step between the secret relations Israel has with those countries now and full diplomatic relations», wrote Channel13. According to the same sources, the Trump administration, arranged meetings with the ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Morocco in Washington to discuss the agreements in question. Channel 13 also revealed that the Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz initially suggested this new initiative. The latter has already discussed the agreements in questions with his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates and Oman during the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, held September in New York. During these meetings, Katz stressed the urgent need of concluding these non-belligerence agreements with Arab countries. Three months later, the Israeli Foreign Minister discussed the same question, at the White House, with a team headed by Victoria Coates, President Donald Trump's deputy national security adviser. For the record, several Arab countries who were approached for the signing of this agreement have officially received Israeli ministers. Indeed, on October 27, 2018, Oman received Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held talks with Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.
