The Israel–Sudan normalization agreement is an agreement that took place on October 23, 2020, whereby
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic ...
agreed that they will normalize relations. It is not clear if the deal establishes full diplomatic relations between the two nations. According to
Axios reporting on March 10, 2021, "While Israel has presented Sudan with a draft agreement for establishing diplomatic relations, the Sudanese want an endorsement from the Biden administration." The agreement came after the agreements of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an a ...
and the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
signed with Israel in September 2020. Unlike the latter two, Sudan had sent troops to fight against Israel in
major Arab-Israeli wars and considered Israel an enemy state.
On 6 April 2021, the Sudanese cabinet approved a bill abolishing the 1958 law on boycotting Israel. The decision came into effect after the
Transitional Sovereign Council approved it in a joint session with the cabinet.
History
Sudan is one of the Arab countries that fought wars with Israel, and its capital,
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing no ...
, witnessed the adoption of
an Arab League resolution known as the resolution of the three noes; No peace, no recognition, no negotiations. Sudan had sent troops to fight the Israeli forces in all
Arab-Israeli major wars and considers Israel an enemy state, moreover it was claimed that the
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
attacked Sudanese forces and terrorists taking cover in Sudan in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Prote ...
and
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gathe ...
.
In early January 2016, Sudanese Foreign Minister
Ibrahim Ghandour and President
Omar al-Bashir floated normalized ties with Israel provided the U.S. government lifted economic sanctions.
Early September 2016 was revealed 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. In February 2020, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
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. Later that month, Israeli planes were allowed to fly over Sudan. In May 2020, Israel flew medics and equipment to Sudan to try and save a Sudanese diplomat, Najwa Gadah Aldam, who managed to arrange the aforementioned meeting in Uganda as she worked as a political adviser to the president of Uganda
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and retired senior military officer who has been the 9th and current President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. Museveni spearheaded rebellions with aid of then ...
, when she was infected and later died from
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
.
In August 2020, the US Secretary of State toured several Arab League countries, including Sudan. On September 15, 2020, UAE and Bahrain signed with Israel the ''
Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords are a series of joint normalization statements initially between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, effective since September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the initial announcement of August 13, 2020, ...
'' and thus became the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel since Jordan in 1994. Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999 but cut ties 10 years later. It was reported that Sudan and Oman were also expected to sign the accords after the US elections.
On October 19, 2020, President Trump tweeted that he would remove Sudan from the list of countries it considers state sponsors of terrorism as soon as its government had deposited $335 million in promised compensation for victims of the bombings of the
American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and the
USS Cole in 2000, and on October 22, Sudan's information minister said Thursday that the money had been deposited.
[ Sudan had hosted ]Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until his death in 2011. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, his group is designated ...
in Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing no ...
between 1991 and 1996.
In mid-October 2020, Sudanese businessman Abu Al-Qasim Bortom visited Israel to accelerate the normalization process. On October 22, 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. On October 23, 2020, Israel and Sudan agreed to a deal to normalize ties. President Trump, Sudanese Chairman of the Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
took part in a conference call on October 23 and subsequently announced the agreement. Sudan's acting foreign minister said on October 23 on state TV that Sudan's agreement will depend on approval from its yet-to-be formed legislative council.
The Sudanese government approved the repeal of the 1958 boycott of Israel law on April 6, 2021. The decision received the approval of a joint meeting of Sudan’s sovereign council and cabinet on April 20, 2021.
Agreement
A joint statement issued by the governments of Israel, Sudan, and the United States said that "The leaders agreed to the normalisation of relations between Sudan and Israel and to end the state of belligerence between their nations," it went on to state that "In addition, the leaders agreed to begin economic and trade relations, with an initial focus on agriculture." The statement also suggested the possibility of further meetings and agreements, saying that "The leaders also agreed that delegations will meet in the coming weeks to negotiate agreements of cooperation in those areas as well as in agriculture technology, aviation, migration issues and other areas for the benefit of the two peoples."
The Sudanese government emphasized that the agreement needs the approval of an elected parliament to enter into force and that it is only a preliminary agreement.
On January 6, 2021, Sudan officially signed the Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords are a series of joint normalization statements initially between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, effective since September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the initial announcement of August 13, 2020, ...
Declaration. The signing took place in the Sudanese capital Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing no ...
, in the presence of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
Steven Terner Mnuchin ( ; born December 21, 1962) is an American investment banker and film producer who served as the 77th United States secretary of the treasury as part of the Cabinet of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. Serving for a full pres ...
.
Reactions
Governments
*: Bahraini Foreign Ministry described the announcement as "an additional historical step on the path for achieving peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region."
* : Foreign Minister
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
François-Philippe Champagne
François-Philippe Champagne (born June 25, 1970) is a Canadian politician who has been Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry since 2021. Champagne was formerly the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021. He was elected to represe ...
stated on Twitter that "Canada welcomes the normalization between Israel and Sudan. This agreement is a positive step forward that will contribute to enhancing stability, security, and opportunity for all people in this region."
* : German officials welcomed the agreement, saying it represents an "important step towards greater stability and more peaceful relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors."
* : President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
praised the two countries' agreement to normalize relations. He also welcomed the joint efforts of the United States, Sudan, and Israel to normalize relations.
* : The Foreign Ministry tweeted in English that Sudan had paid ransom to be taken out of the list of state of sponsors of terrorism and labeled the normalization as "phoney."
* : The Palestinian President declared his "condemnation and rejection of the normalization agreement, because that is contrary to the resolutions of the Arab summits, as well as to the Arab Peace Initiative
The Arab Peace Initiative ( ar, مبادرة السلام العربية; ), also known as the Saudi Initiative (; ), is a 10 sentence proposal for an end to the Arab–Israeli conflict that was endorsed by the Arab League in 2002 at the Beiru ...
, which was approved by the Arab and Islamic summits, and by the United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and ...
in accordance with resolution 1515."
* : The Foreign Ministry welcomed the normalization of relations and stated that the decision was "an important step to boost security and prosperity in the region... (and) would expand the scope of economic, commercial, scientific and diplomatic cooperation."
* : Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
Dominic Rennie Raab (; born 25 February 1974) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 to ...
welcomed the normalization of relations saying that it is "a positive step between two valued friends. This step is a boost for the democratic transition in Sudan, and peace in the region."
* : President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
tweeted that the normalization was a "huge win for the United States and for peace in the world." He added that "more will follow!"
Organizations
* : While welcoming the announcement of the agreement the EU recalled "its longstanding position that a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict requires a regional inclusive approach and engagement with both parties."
* : Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular m ...
expressed the hope that the agreement between Israel and Sudan to normalize relations will create opportunities for peace and prosperity.
Others
* Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni- Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassa ...
issued a statement saying: “We express our condemnation and outrage over the despicable and humiliating normalization that does not suit Sudan’s people and history, We call on the heroic people of Sudan to reject the shameful agreement and the establishment of any ties with the criminal enemy.”
* Sudan's Islamic scholars were reported to have issued a Fatwa
A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
on October 1, announcing opposition to the central government in Khartoum normalizing ties with Israel, while other Sudanese clerics offered support.
* On October 24, 2020, Sudan's former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi
Sadiq al-Mahdi ( ar, الصادق المهدي, aṣ-Ṣādiq al-Mahdī; 25 December 193526 November 2020), also known as Sadiq as-Siddiq, was a Sudanese political and religious figure who was Prime Minister of Sudan from 1966 to 1967 and again ...
who heads the country's largest political party, strongly criticized the statement, accusing Trump of being racist against Muslims and Black people and Israel of being an apartheid state.
See also
* Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement
* Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retreat ...
* Egypt–Israel peace treaty
The Egypt–Israel peace treaty ( ar, معاهدة السلام المصرية الإسرائيلية, Mu`āhadat as-Salām al-Misrīyah al-'Isrā'īlīyah; he, הסכם השלום בין ישראל למצרים, ''Heskem HaShalom Bein Yisrael ...
* Israel–Jordan peace treaty
* Israel–Morocco normalization agreement
* Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement
The Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement, officially the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel, was initially agr ...
* Kosovo and Serbia economic normalization agreements
References
External links
Joint Statement of the United States, the Republic of Sudan, and the State of Israel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Israel-Sudan normalization agreement
Abraham Accords
October 2020 events in Africa
October 2020 events in Asia
October 2020 events in the United States
2020 in international relations
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic ...
2020 in Sudan
2020 in the United States
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic ...
Politics of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic ...
Treaties of Sudan
Treaties concluded in 2020
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic ...
Peace treaties of Sudan
Arab–Israeli peace process
Arab–Israeli alliance against Iran
Israel–Sudan relations
Israel–United States relations
Sudan–United States relations
Presidency of Donald Trump
Benjamin Netanyahu