(CNN) The picture was as stunning as the visit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood next to the Omani leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, as the two strolled through the halls of the palace in the capital Muscat. Netanyahu is smiling as bin Said escorts him down the polished marbled floors.

The unannounced visit -- the first by an Israeli leader to Oman in more than 20 years -- is the clearest sign yet of the warming relations between Israel and the Arab states. Oman and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, but that didn't get in the way of the meeting.

One day after the meeting, Oman's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, said, according to Reuters: "Israel is a state present in the region, and we all understand this. The world is also aware of this fact. Maybe it is time for Israel to be treated the same [as other states] and also bear the same obligations."

Bin Alawi, speaking at a summit in Bahrain attended by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, said Oman was willing to contribute ideas to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process while backing American efforts. Bahrain's foreign minister backed Oman's position.

Speaking to Cabinet colleagues after his return, Netanyahu said, "This visit comes against the background of diplomatic efforts that I have been promoting in recent years vis-à-vis the Arab countries. There will be more."

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