To boost normalisation efforts, Israel lobbies US to pass Sudan immunity bill

Israel has started lobbying US Senators and Congressmen to approve a bill which would stop Sudan being the victim of future lawsuits by terror victims, Axios news website reported on Monday.

This comes as part of Israel’s efforts to meet Khartoum’s demands before a normalisation deal can be reached between the two countries.

Axios reported that Israeli officials are worried that failing to pass this bill would end plans for a peace deal between Tel Aviv and Khartoum and possibly Israel’s chances of signing similar deals with other Arab states. The deadline for passing the bill is 14 December.

“Israel obviously has an interest to help resolve Sudan’s problems in Washington. This can encourage other countries to normalize relations with Israel too,” Axiosreported an unnamed Israeli official saying.

Following the announcement of the normalisation deal with Sudan, Axios said, families of American victims of the 9/11 attacks started calling for maintaining the right to prosecute the Sudanese government for its alleged assistance of Al-Qaeda.

During an Israeli delegation visit to Khartoum, the head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, raised the issue and asked the Israeli government and the Trump administration to work with Congress to solve the problem.

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