Mideast foes quietly talking

[TomSea]

Mideast foes quietly talking
Israel, Arab neighbors find Iran as their common enemy

By JOSH LEDERMAN The Associated Press

This article was published today at 3:31 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Officially, their governments don't speak. The United Arab Emirates doesn't even formally recognize that Israel exists.

But an impromptu bit of dinner diplomacy between Israel's prime minister and a prominent Emirati ambassador sheds light on one of the worst-kept secrets in the Arab world: the quiet ties between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors that are increasingly coming out in the open as they find common cause against mutual foe Iran.

The venue back in March was Cafe Milano, the upscale Georgetown restaurant often frequented by powerful Washingtonians, from Barack Obama to members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Washington for an annual pro-Israel policy conference, was midway through dinner with his wife, Sara, when an unexpected request came his way.

Read more at: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/may/13/mideast-foes-quietly-talking-20180513/

"The venue back in March was Cafe Milano, the upscale Georgetown restaurant often frequented by powerful Washingtonians, from Barack Obama to members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet."

Kind of interesting note on this backdoor diplomacy.