Netanyahu hints at Israeli role in Sudan bombings, predicts more deals

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a televised address, focusing first on Friday’s announcement of Israeli-Sudan piece, and hints at confirmation that Israel carried out bombing raids in Sudan several years ago to stop Iran from smuggling weapons to Hamas via the country.

Israel reportedly carried out bombing raids in Sudan in early 2009, before Netanyahu took office, and in 2012 and 2014.

He praises the normalization deal with Sudan, and namechecks Uganda’s president for his role in brokering a meeting between him and Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in February.

“We brought three peace deals in six weeks; it’s not luck; it’s not coincidence but the result of clear policy, and our efforts,” he says, predicting that other countries will follow suit.

Iran used to utilize Sudan to transfer weapons to Hamas, he says, “and that required me to order steps” to prevent it.

Sudan was an enemy state that fought against Israel (in 1948) and hosted the Khartoum “3 No’s” summit in 1967 that rejected all dealings with Israel, he notes.

“But all our relations with them have started to change in recent years — secretly, openly and now with the normalization agreement.”

He says an Israeli delegation will head to Khartoum “in the coming days” to finalize the accords.

He thanks “President Trump and his team above all — together with him we are changing history.”

The new accords are being reached “despite all the experts and commentators who said it was impossible.” It’s peace, he says, “without withdrawals” and “without uprootings” — a reference to settlements.