Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Diplomatic Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman Sheikh Khalifa Bin Ali Al-Harthy, confirmed that the Sultanate has no intention of normalising relations with Israel, stressing the need for the “barbaric war on Gaza” to stop immediately.
In an interview with Russia’s Sputnik news agency published on Thursday, Al-Harthy said: “The important issue now is not whether or not we normalise, but rather reaching a solution to the Palestinian issue and giving the Palestinians their rights.”
He noted: “The normalisation that took place recently between Israel and a number of countries in the region did not achieve this goal, but instead, it was used to abuse the Palestinians, stall, and delay, without giving them their rights to establish their independent state, in accordance with international resolutions.”
Al-Harthy explained that Muscat is in constant contact with the international community and influential countries in the region in order to reduce tensions and avoid escalation, denying the existence of any direct communication with Tel Aviv or delivering messages between it and Iran.
“Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq announced the Sultanate’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for all efforts calling for an end to the attacks on innocent children and civilians, as well as calling on the international community to uphold its responsibilities to give the Palestinian people their right to establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.
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“We in Oman constantly call for unifying the Arab ranks, which can be achieved by strengthening the role of the Arab League and regional organisations associated with joint Arab action.”
Al-Harthy pointed out that the Middle East region is vital to international security and peace due to its strategic location, citing that this region has faced political and security challenges at many points in history.
Al-Harthy stated that Oman does not expect that a major war will break out in the region, despite Israel’s many provocations, either in Gaza or in other countries in the region: “The countries of the region possess the prudence and rationality allowing them to avoid being dragged into a new war.”
“We are cooperating with the countries of the region and the world to spare the region war, and we always emphasise that the tensions occurring in the region originate from Israel’s genocidal war in Palestine, and therefore we demand an immediate ceasefire,” he said.
“We as Arabs do not believe that the current UN mechanisms are helping to impose a just solution to the Palestinian issue, and this impression was reinforced with the Ukrainian crisis. The majority of countries in the world, especially the Third World countries, including Oman, demand a radical reform of the UN mechanisms.”
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