Israel’s new friends

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalised ties with Israel on September 15 as Palestinians condemned the move as a "stab in the back".  The next month Donald Trump announced that Sudan is joining them, while in November unconfirmed reports of a secret trip to Saudi Arabia by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked speculation that the kingdom is set to follow. In another twist, Morocco "resumed relations" with Israel on December 10 in return for the US recognising its claim to Western Sahara.