"NOW THAT the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates' lead," said President Donald Trump on August 13th, when the uae became just the third Arab state (after Egypt and Jordan) to establish formal ties with Israel. The move was greeted with approval by several of the region's leaders, who have long had secret dealings with the Jewish state. So who will be next to bring them into the open? A good bet is Oman, which congratulated Israel and the uae on their agreement. In the past Oman has played the role of interlocutor between Israel and the Arab world. In 2018 the late Sultan Qaboos hosted Bin-yamin Netanyahu, the first visit by an Israeli prime minister to the Gulf in over two decades (pictured). But in January a new sultan, Haitham bin Tariq, took over. He dismissed the foreign minister on August 18th, a day after the top diplomat spoke to his Israeli counterpart. The move came as part of a larger government shake-up, but Sultan Haitham may not yet feel secure enough to take such a bold step.
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