Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reported trip to Saudi Arabia on Sunday follows the theme of unprecedented relations between Arab countries and Israel.

The second half of 2020 has been seen an accelerated rate of normalisation of ties: the “Abraham Accords” were signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August, Bahrain followed a month later, and Sudan’s transitional government announced normalisation of relations with Israel in October.

Several Sudanese political parties have rejected normalisation, however, and Sudan’s acting foreign minister said the agreement must be approved by the yet-to-be formed legislative council.

Brokered by the Trump administration, the deals broke years of consensus among most Arab states that have said any official recognition of Israel is conditional on the end of the occupation of Palestinian territories and establishment of the two-state solution on the 1967 borders.

Before August, only two Arab countries had official ties with Israel – Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

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