Oman parliament votes to criminalize ties with "Israel"

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
27 Dec 2022 10:30
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Muscat votes to expand the criminalization and boycott of the Zionist entity.

Oman’s Parliament has voted to expand a law banning relations and contracts with the Israeli occupation.

The parliament of Oman has voted on a draft amendment to broaden a law prohibiting relations and contacts with "Israel," while the occupation faces more challenges to integrate into the region two years after the US brokered normalization deals between the occupation and three Arab countries.

The 86-member Majlis al-Shura, or Consultative Assembly, voted to include any sports, cultural, or economic contact for private and public figures in the first clause of its "Israel" boycott law. The amendment also specifically bans in-person or online interaction with Israeli settlers.

Assembly Vice-President Yaaqoub al-Harethi said the amendment, proposed by several legislators, will "expand the criminalization and boycott of the Zionist entity," according to the Omani WAF news agency. The amendment will now be debated by the Majlis legislative committee before a final vote.

Omani law already prohibits citizens from contacting individuals or entities based in "Israel" for any reason, whether directly or through a third party.

Muscat officially supports the Arab League's position that any diplomatic relations with the Israeli occupation must be contingent on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Oman and the US held talks to secure Omani approval for Israeli commercial flights to fly over the Gulf state's airspace, as part of Washington's efforts to persuade more Arab states to normalize relations with "Israel". Muscat, on the other hand, refused to comply.

Upon signing the normalization agreements, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Saudi Arabia, authorized Israeli planes to use their airspace.

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi said in an interview in July that his country will not be the third Gulf nation to normalize ties with "Israel" but also affirmed his country’s support for what he called “achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”

He stated that the sultanate wishes to distinguish itself from the UAE and Bahrain, and that any future advancement in ties would necessitate a separate and direct link between Muscat and Al-Quds.