Manama: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning landed in Chad on a diplomatic visit to renew diplomatic ties between the countries.
The visit is the first an Israeli prime minister since Chad had cut off diplomatic relations with Israel in 1972.
It is also the latest in a series of moves to bring Arab countries and Israel closer at a time when the region faces turbulent times and partnerships, no matter how implausible they may look, are becoming much more valuable.
In October, Netanyahu paid a surprise visit to Oman, and in November, he met Iddriss Deby, the president of Chad, in Occupied Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, a senior Kuwaiti official said that his country would be the last Arab country to have relations with Israel.
“Kuwait’s position is clear and well-known reading its rejection of having relations with Israel and there are no Kuwaiti measures towards starting ties,” Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Al Jarallah said, quoted by Kuwaiti daily Al Qabas on Sunday.
“There are views being posted on social networks, but at the official level, there is no position from an official or a statement referring to Kuwaiti steps towards having ties with Israel.”
The Kuwaiti position has been clear since the late Emir Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad who ruled from December 1977 until January 2006 said that Kuwait would be the last state to have relations with Israel, “with respect for all statements that referred to the possibility of taking steps to normalise relations with Israel,” Al Jarallah added.