Peace and War Games: More Arab Countries to Normalize Ties as IDF Launches Drill Against Hezbollah

A normalization announcement between Israel and Saudi Arabia is reportedly near. Developments along this track are likely to pick up steam following the US presidential elections, depending on who wins on November 3rd. In closed door conversations, Mossad director Yossi Cohen said that the Saudis were waiting until after the election so that they could potentially announce normalization as a gift to the winner.

Cohen also reportedly said that normalization will involve an arms deal between Washington and Riyadh.

Concurrently, It has been reported that US-mediated talks between the Jewish state and Oman are close to achieving a breakthrough. However, it is believed that Muscat will take a cautious approach and not sign anything with Jerusalem until after the US presidential election.

An Israeli delegation will travel to Sudan in the coming days after the two countries agreed to take steps to establish ties, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday.

The agreement, brokered with the help of the United States and announced late last week, made Sudan the third Arab government to set aside hostilities with Israel in the last two months. It is unclear how long it will take for an accord to be completed. The military and civilian leaders of Sudan’s transitional government have been divided over how fast and how far to go in normalizing relations with Israel.

Meanwhile, several key Sudanese political parties announced their opposition to the deal with Israel. Over the weekend, demonstrations were held in Khartoum. Opponents of the agreement said they would form a unified front against it. These parties are essential to the civilian coalition that overthrew longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir last year. They have accused the transitional government of violating its authority as previously defined.

In response to the diplomatic breakthrough, Iran on Saturday described the peace deal as “phony” and accused Sudan of “paying a ransom” in return for the United States removing it from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. Not surprisingly, the Palestinian leadership referred to the agreement as a “new stab in the back.”

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces launched a large-scale war simulation exercise against the Hezbollah terror group, aimed at improving the military’s offensive capability.

The multi-day drill — dubbed Deadly Arrow — will focus on having various headquarters and command centers work together under wartime conditions. The simulation will include maneuvers by ground forces, naval vessels and aircraft.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite militia with whom Israel fought a war in 2006, is believed to maintain an arsenal of some 130,000 rockets and missiles. In addition, the organization has amassed considerable battle experience from fighting in Syria throughout the country’s civil war.

Germany’s public transportation company put Star of David stickers and the Hebrew-language salutation Shalom on a vehicle serving one of its busiest tram lines, as part of the buildup to the country’s celebration next year of 1,700 years of Jewish life in Germany.

The move is an initiative of Association 321, a reference to the fact that Jewish presence in Germany was first documented in the year 321.