1 \ I reported tonight on @news10 that a special envoy of the Israeli foreign ministry held a secret meeting in Istanbul with Sudanese officials a year ago as part of an attempt to renew the dialogue between the two countries, a source briefed on the meeting told me
2 \ The Israelis appointed a senior diplomat who was in charge of relations with countries who do not have diplomatic ties with Israel to hold the Sudan file. The Sudanese sent to the meeting one of the senior aides to the then director of their intelligence service Mohammed Atta
3 \ The secret meeting between the Israeli envoy and the Sudanese officials took place in Istanbul – at the office of a Turkish businessman who us a close confidant of Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir
4 \ The source who was briefed on the meeting told me the Israelis and the Sudanese discussed the warming of relations between the countries and possible Israel aid to Sudan in the fields of medicine, agriculture and economy
5 \ The spokesman of the Israeli foreign ministry @EmmanuelNahshon didn't deny this account and told me: "No comment"
6 \ Sudan is not designated in Israel as an enemy state but over the last several decades there was deep hostility between both countries. According to Sudanese law Israel is the only country in the world that Sudanese citizens are not allowed to visit
7 \ Sudan used to host Hamas HQ and was an ally of Iran but since 2014 started to distance itself from Tehran and to pivot towards Saudi Arabia. Since 2016 Israel started quietly lobbying the U,S, & EU members to boost economic aid to Sudan
8 \ On Sunday a senior Israeli official told me Israel was in contacts with Sudan for some time in order to see if it's possible to renew diplomatic ties with the Arab-Muslim country
9 \ The official said the issue was discussed in the meeting between Netanyahu & the President of Chad Idris Debby who arrived in Israel this week on a historic visit, after five months of secret talks. Debby told Netanyahu he is ready to encourage Sudan to warm ties with Israel
10 \ Today after another meeting with Debby Netanyahu issued a statement saying he will travel in a few weeks to Chad in order to give a joint statement with his Chadian counterpart on the resumption of diplomatic relations which were cut in 1972. END
