Manama: Some three days after unusually inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Oman, the Arab state asked its neighbors to accept and recognise the Jewish state as a key and equal partner in the Middle East.
"Israel is a state present in the region, and we all understand this," Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the sultanate's minister responsible for foreign affairs, told a security summit in Bahrain.
"The world is also aware of this fact. Maybe it is time for Israel to be treated the same [as others states] and also bear the same obligations", he added.
Oman is offering ideas to help Israel and the Palestinians to come together but is not acting as mediator, Yousuf said.
"We are not saying that the road is now easy and paved with flowers, but our priority is to put an end to the conflict and move to a new world," Yousuf told the summit.
The comments came after a sudden invitation by Sultan Qaboos to Netanyahu to visit Oman. Accepting the invitation, Netanyahu accomapnied by his wife Sara, Mossad intelligence chief Yossi Cohen and National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat visited Oman on Thursday and returened to Israel on Friday.
According to reports, Sultan Qaboos rolled out the red carpet and members of the royal family lined up to meet Netanyahu - accused of killing and suppressing Palestinians with iron hands.
"A special visit in Oman -- we're making history!" Netanyahu wrote on Twitter, posting a video of his reception and meeting.
The office of Israeli's Prime Minister in a statement said Netanyahu's first ever visit to Oman was of the Isareli policy of "deepening relations with the states of the region".
Israel currently has full diplomatic relations with only two Arab states, Egypt and Jordan.
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