Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently returned from a surprise, secret, one-day trip to Oman, where he engaged in talks with Sultan Qaboos. The 70-year-old Qaboos has largely stayed out of the Middle Eastern conflicts. Oman never went to war with Israel, and it was one of only three Arab states not to break relations with Egypt after Sadat signed the Camp David Accords. Nor has it been involved in the Sunni-Shi’a conflict, for 75% of Omanis belong to Ibadiyya Islam, a third branch of Islam, found only in Oman and in a handful of oases in Algeria. It is much too complicated to detail the theological differences and similarities of Ibadis with Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, but we ought to mention the political quietism of Ibadiyya Islam, and the comparatively good treatment that Ibadis have historically provided to Christians and Jews living amongst them. The Ibadi sect’s emphasis on tolerance and moderation is underscored by the accommodations that Oman’s leadership provides the 25 percent of the population that is not Ibadi. Unlike any other country — except Israel — in the region, Oman’s legal system offers extensive protection to religious minorities (Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists). Oman is, in its advocacy of religious pluralism and social inclusion, far ahead of its Arab neighbors. The Ibadis are a tiny minority in the world of Islam. 90% of Muslims are Sunnis, a little more than 9% are Shi’a, and fewer than 1% are Ibadis, so tolerance for both Sunnis and Shi’a in Oman is a way to ensure tolerance for Ibadis outside of Oman..
Why did Netanyahu and Qaboos get together just now?
Many reports claim that the Israelis are using Oman as a back channel to Iran. For the Omanis maintain cordial relations with Iran, just as they do with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and every other state in the Gulf, and this may be a way for Israel to communicate with its archenemy.
The visit has come after months of negotiations between Israel and Oman. Could the timing of the visit to Oman also be related to the Khashoggi fiasco? No reports have mentioned this as a reason for Netanyahu’s visit to Muscat, but the Israeli leader has a stake in the political survival of the Saudi Crown Prince. Muhammad bin Salman has formed a tacit alliance with Israel against Iran, their shared mortal enemy. Furthermore, the Crown Prince has become friends with Jared Kushner, offering advice as the latter worked on his “peace plan” for Israelis and “Palestinians.” This plan, not yet revealed, is reputed to be far more favorable to the Israeli position — and has the Crown Prince’s approval — than any previous peace proposals by administrations in Washington.
And what about Sultan Qaboos? He has been under great pressure from the Saudis to join their anti-Qatar coalition, which now consists of Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E,, Bahrain, and Egypt. The Saudis are opposed to Qatar both for its links with Iran and for its support of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group whom the Saudis regard with horror for its promotion of “Islamic democracy” that would mean the end of the Saudi and other Gulf monarchies. Sultan Qaboos prefers to remain neutral, and despite Saudi pressure has not joined the anti-Qatar coalition. Nor has he taken any position on the Sunni-Shi’a war right next door, in Yemen. On the other hand, he did back Saudi Arabia when that country cut off relations with Canada for “interfering” in its domestic affairs. When Saudis arrested several activists, including Samar Badawi, the sister of Raif Badawi, a prisoner of conscience, Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian foreign minister, tweeted about how appalled she was at news of these arrests, and the next day the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for the Saudis to “immediately release” those they had just arrested. The Saudis were furious. They expelled the Canadian ambassador, called back their own ambassador from Ottawa, cancelled contracts with Canada, and pulled thousands of Saudi students out of Canadian colleges and universities. Sultan Qaboos immediately took the Saudi side, declaring that Oman supported Riyadh’s view that nations should not interfere in the domestic affairs — i.e., arrests of human-rights activists — of other nations.
But Qaboos continues to remain aloof from the anti-Qatar coalition and, furthermore, continues to maintain friendly ties with Iran.
Though there were months of negotiations with Oman, could the timing of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s secret, one-day visit have been suggested to him by his friend the Crown Prince? Perhaps the visit, originally meant to serve as a backchannel to Iran, became something else. For during these months of preparation for the visit, Iran has shown no signs of curbing its proxy war against Saudi Arabia in Yemen. It has not halted, either, its attempts to acquire bases in Syria, and to supply Hezbollah with advanced weaponry, both meant for use against Israel. Perhaps establishing a “backchannel” was no longer plausible, given Iranian intransigence, and the visit became something quite different.