Sudan has been flirting with the Abraham Accords and cozying up to Israel since late 2020, just after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalized relations with the Jewish state.

Now it’s official – Israel and Sudan will sign a formal peace agreement later this year in Washington, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced Thursday.

Cohen was in Khartoum this week to meet with General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, leader of Sudan’s transitional government.

“The peace agreement between Israel and Sudan will promote regional stability and contribute to the national security of the State of Israel,” Cohen said following his return to Jerusalem.

The Sudanese government also openly reported on the development, posting photos of Cohen and Al-Burhan shaking hands on social media.

⭕️ رئيس مجلس السيادة يلتقي وزير الخارجية الإسرائيلي pic.twitter.com/ThTnmLFwVp

— مجلس السيادة الإنتقالي – السودان (@TSC_SUDAN) February 2, 2023

Why it matters

In terms of economic and other tangible benefits, it’s clear that Israel has much to offer Sudan. But will this newfound peace bring any real rewards to Israelis?

Peace with any Arab (or Arab League) state is important, and being able to fly over Sudan will significantly cut travel times from Israel to other parts of the world. But there are few direct benefits, and it’s doubtful many Israelis will see Sudan as a tourism destination.

But there is one symbolic aspect to peace with Sudan that makes it as notable as deals with bigger fish like the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The Sudanese capital of Khartoum played host to the 1967 Arab League summit held in the wake of the Six-Day War.

The resulting resolution called for, among other things, the entirety of the Arab world to remain in a constant state of war with Israel until all “occupied” lands had been liberated.

Specifically, the resolution contains what came to be known as the “Three No’s”:

1. No peace with Israel;
2. No recognition of Israel; and
3. No negotiations with it.

The Khartoum Resolution became the cornerstone of the Arabs’ rejectionist approach to Israel.

For the very nation that birthed that resolution to now be negotiating and making peace with Israel signifies more than any other regional agreement the unraveling of the enemy’s plans to isolate and suffocate the reborn Jewish state.

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