Oman’s Shura Council agreed on Monday to refer a proposal to broaden the scope of the boycott of Israel to the Legislative and Legal Committee to express an opinion before discussing the proposal and approving or rejecting it.
Article 1 of the Israel Provincial Law issued by Royal Decree No. 72/9 bans any direct or by proxy agreement with authorities or individuals residing in Israel or holding Israeli nationality or working for its interest wherever they reside.
The proposal rules that the first clause of the law would be amended in a way that broadens the scope of the boycott.
The seven MPs who submitted the proposal demanded additional amendments that include severing any economic, sports, or cultural contact and banning any virtual or real meeting with Israel.
Ties between Israel and Oman were formed in 1992 following the 1991 Madrid Conference. Both countries further inaugurated offices following the Oslo Accords.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin visited Muscat in 1994 followed by former Prime Minister of Israel Shimon Peres in 1995.
The Omani foreign minister visited Israel during the same year.
However, diplomatic ties were severed after the second intifada. Then on October 26, 2018, the PM Benjamin Netanyahu visited Oman at the invitation of late Sultan Qaboos bin Said. This was the first official meeting on this level since 1996.
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed last year that Oman will not normalize ties with Israel before the two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is implemented.
