Comoros and Maldives may be next in normalizing with "Israel"
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The Israeli occupation is working towards normalizing ties with Indian Ocean Muslim-majority nations.
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The Maldives ended their relations with the occupation in 2014
According to Israeli diplomatic sources, ongoing contracts are being developed, implying that the Muslim-majority islands of Comoros and Maldives may be next on the list of normalizing ties with "Israel."
Although Comoros never recognized "Israel's" legitimacy, the US mediated normalization talks between the two last October.
Comoros' stance towards Palestine has mostly been a supportive one, as it previously initiated The Hague's six-year investigation into the Gaza flotilla event in May 2013, when it asked the ICC's prosecutor to look into the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara three years earlier, during which the IOF assaulted pro-Palestinian activists.
On the other hand, the Maldives had previous diplomatic connections with the occupation, although they were terminated in 1974.
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Maldivian Foreign Minister Ahmad Naseem and "Israel's" ex-FM Avigdor Liberman
In the 1990s relations sprung again, and in 2009 former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman and Maldivian foreign minister signed cooperation agreements.
After the 2014 war on Gaza, the Maldives terminated all ties with the occupation and prohibited all Israeli imports.
Reports of reestablishing ties were denied in 2020 by officials.
Behind the US' push for normalization
The US is largely pushing for normalization between "Israel" and Arab-Muslim nations. In December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the possibility of Jakarta proceeding with normalization with "Israel."
According to Axios, Blinken discussed the topic with officials in the Indonesian government.
The topic is one of the numerous files on the agenda for Blinken in Indonesia, which suggests a shift in US views toward Jakarta and Washington's attempts to breach the direction of the largest Muslim country in the world.
Normalization agreements
Two years ago, the Trump administration brokered the now "Abraham Accords" - a naming convention now defunct - that allowed "Israel" to normalize relations with the UAE, Bahrain, and, later, Sudan and Morocco.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlined support for the agreements by strengthening Israeli connections with the UAE and Bahrain, as well as Morocco, Sudan, and Kosovo; extending "Israel's" existing partnerships with Egypt and Jordan; and urging new nations to normalize ties with "Israel".
The Trump administration attempted to use economic and diplomatic incentives to persuade Sudanese officials to recognize "Israel," as it did with other nations, however, their internal issues halted the efforts.
Morocco and Bahrain Protest against Normalization
In November of last year, 36 Moroccan cities continued protesting against normalization with "Israel," and in solidarity with Palestine.
These protests come in response to the Moroccan National Front to Support Palestine and Oppose Normalization’s call to reject normalization.
In October 2021, Bahraini security forces faced continuous protests against the normalization of Manama authorities with the Israeli occupation and the visit of Israeli Minister Yair Lapid to Manama.
The Al-Wefaq movement called on the Bahraini people to continue protesting in the face of the regime's "arrogance" and its pro-normalization enablement and stances.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
