Israeli Minister Reveals Work Toward Regional “Non-Aggression” Pact

Amid considerable speculation over a noticeable shift in Middle Eastern dynamics over the past several years focusing on signs of acceptance of Israel by predominantly-Sunni Arab nations, an Israeli cabinet minister has revealed Jerusalem’s attempts to create a “non-aggression” pact among the region’s countries – including the Jewish state. Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, a long-time ally of beleaguered incumbent Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, explained in a Hebrew-language tweet on Sunday that he has been working on the concept that would end the conflict with most of the Gulf States setting up the possibility for a full-scale peace treaty with the Palestinians. Katz said the plan had the backing of Netanyahu. That a diplomatic move of such magnitude would not come from the prime minister is in itself a reason for skepticism to some while leaving others wondering what part of the picture has not been revealed. In the Middle East, it’s not uncommon for trial balloons to precede any major diplomatic move. The initiative at hand also comes as Netanyahu fights for his political life, thus reinforcing the confusion created by a major diplomatic initiative from a source other than the prime minister. Some, for instance, are saying Netanyahu is figuratively passing the baton of succession to Katz while others opine that if the initiative was really as significant as it sounds, the prime minister’s fingerprints would be all over it. Also, raising questions of the plan’s importance is Katz’s own statement regarding where he has brought the plan which includes no one above the foreign ministry level in the Arab world while regarding the American administration, the only name Katz cited was the lame duck of the Mideast team headed by Jared Kushner, Jason Greenblatt. Nevertheless, since early in his term, many have believed President Trump’s vision did, indeed, include a treaty with the Gulf States prior to a pact between Israel and the Palestinians.