Israeli minister visits Oman over plans for rail link with Gulf

An Israeli minister has traveled to Oman to propose plans for a railway linking the Gulf to the Mediterranean via the Jewish state at a world transport summit on Wednesday. Transport and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz, who reportedly arrived in Muscat on Sunday, is to make the pitch at the annual meeting of the International Road Transport Union. The ‘Tracks for Regional Peace’ initiative reportedly calls for a rail link connecting Saudi Arabia with the Mediterranean Sea. The proposal is part of a push by Israel to capitalize on regional developments, particularly anti-Iran sentiments, and to overcome decades of Arab hostility, AFP said. The line would extend from Haifa, Israel’s largest port, passing through Jordan before connecting with existing railways in the Gulf. The minister’s trip to Oman comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise visit to the Gulf sultanate, the first in more than 20 years by an Israeli premier.