Netanyahu in Historic Talks with Sudan’s Leader

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu held a “historic” meeting with Sudan’s sovereign council head Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Monday.

Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir was a fierce opponent of Israel, and his government was accused of helping arm militant Palestinian group Hamas.

Sudan is a longtime member of the Arab League and joined other members in rejecting US President Donald Trump’s plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Gen Burhan flew to Uganda to meet Nethanyahu who was on a one-day visit there for talks with President Yoweri Museveni.

In a tweet in Hebrew, Netanyahu said he and Gen Burhan had “agreed to start a cooperation that will normalize relations between the two countries. History!”

After meeting Burhan, Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying the premier believes Sudan “is headed in a new positive direction” and that he expressed this to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Pompeo phoned Burhan on Sunday and invited him to visit the US, Sudan’s ruling sovereign council said.

However in Sudan, the transitional ruling council said it was not informed of a meeting Monday between the African country’s leader and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyanu.

The council said it is waiting for Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to return from Uganda to ‘give clarification’.

Burhan heads Sudan’s sovereign council, a transitional body of military officials and civilians that was created as part of a power-sharing agreement following the overthrow of the longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir last year.