Israel tweets to Arabs about proposed train line from Haifa to the Gulf

Israel In Arabic tweeted its proposal for a train line that will bring goods from the Haifa port through Jordan to the Gulf Arab states.

"During his visit to Abu Dhabi, the Israeli Foreign Minister presented an initiative linking Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries through Jordan to the Israeli railway network and Haifa port in the Mediterranean Sea. This initiative would create shorter, cheaper and more secure regional trade routes,  will support the economies of the Gulf nations."

The tweet got the attention of Arab media, even though the plan is now a year old. 

One writer noticed that the Haifa port website recently added an Arabic section (previously it only pointed to a downloadable PDF file).

The reaction in the Arab world to this plan has been mixed. It is a direct threat to both Lebanese ports and the Suez Canal for trade between the Gulf and Europe.

The reaction tweets were mixed as well, with some supporting the idea, some against and one saying that it should be a business-only relationship where no diplomatic recognition would result.

This is the sort of economic initiative that can only help peace. If Gulf countries gain economically from  access to an Israeli port, they have little incentive to antagonize Israel  - and great interest in stopping anti-Israel terror plots in their territories.

The Israel in Arabic Facebook and Twitter accounts have proven extremely effective in getting Israel's message out to the Arab world.

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