Arab League member Comoros close to normalising ties with Israel: report

An Israeli daily has said talks are taking place between Israel and the African Muslim island country to establish diplomatic ties, following deals with four Arab nations last year

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

19 October, 2021

Comoros would be the fifth country in the Arab League to normalise ties with Israel since last year [AFP/Getty]

Comoros has become the latest member of the Arab League to seek ties with Israel, according to reports in Israeli media.

The East African island state and Israel are close to normalising ties with talks on establishing diplomatic relations already underway, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

It would make Comoros the fifth Arab League country to sign a deal with Israel since last year.

Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the UAE have all signed normalisation agreements with Israel, known as the Abraham Accords. The deals were met with outrage from Palestinians, who pointed out that they reward Israel while it continues to occupy the West Bank and besiege the Gaza Strip.

Public opinion surveys have shown overwhelming disapproval of the deals in Arab countries.

Former Comorian President Ahmed Sambi said during his tenure that Israel offered his country aid in exchange for normalisation, which he refused.

رئيس #جزر_القمر يقول :
اسرائيل طلبت فتح سفارة مقابل اموال سنوية و رفضنا
فأين الدول العربية و #ايران الوحيدة التي زارنا رئيسها و عرض مساعدتنا pic.twitter.com/6tjxSbFqhI
— مناع ابوتوجان عسيري (@manna980) December 11, 2016

He said despite the economic benefits such an agreement would bring about, he asked Arab and Islamic countries to help Comoros instead, a majority Muslim country with a population of less than a million.