Historic meeting between Deby and Netanyahu scheduled for Sunday evening; Deby first Chadian official to visit Israel; Leaders to address press following meeting; Oman to Arab states: Israel is a fact of life in this region and should share rights as well as obligations.
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The President of Chad arrived in Israel on Sunday for a historic meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
President Idriss Deby is the first Chadian president to visit the Jewish state. The meeting is also significant as Chad is a majority Muslim country.
The Office of the Prime Minister confirmed the leader’s meeting, releasing the statement “Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chad President Deby will hold a private meeting and will then issue statements to the media. They will meet again over dinner. This is a historic visit, the first by a President of Chad to Israel since the establishment of the state. The visit comes against the background of the manifold diplomatic efforts led by Prime Minister Netanyahu in recent years.”
Netanyahu referred to the historic meeting as a “an additional diplomatic breakthrough“ stating “This is a historic and important visit that comes against the background of the efforts we have led. I welcome the President of Chad on his arrival in Israel.”
Their meeting will center on security and establishing bilateral relations. Both leaders will address the press following their meeting.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has centered his government and efforts on increasing relations with the global community. He has held countless meetings with international leaders and players in order to improve Israel’s standing globally, as well as create diplomatic, economic and social ties.
Also on Sunday, Oman again called for normalization with the State of Israel. Secretary General of Oman’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, was quoted stating in response to the Deby-Netanyahu meeting “Arab states need to come to terms with the reality that Israel is a fact of life in this region and [Israel] should share rights as well as obligations.”
Netanyahu and Mossad Director Yossi Cohen met with Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said in Muscat late October, another additional historic move by the prime minister. The Sultan called for regional recognition of the State of Israel.
Following their meeting, Oman’s Foreign Minister defended Oman’s call for recognition. Speaking to Middle Eastern leadership at a security conference in Bahrain, he stated “Israel is a state present in the region and we all understand this. The world is also aware of this and maybe it is time for Israel to be treated the same [as other states] and to also bear the same obligations… We should consider giving equal treatment to Israel among the other countries in the Middle East. Jews are part of history that touches Islam and the existence of the State of Israel is a fact that should not be ignored…”
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