The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have signed a historic diplomatic routine agreement with Israel at a ceremony at the White House.
In a program chaired by
President Donald Trump, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al
Nahyan and Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zian signed
agreements with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The treaties, the
details of which are still being negotiated’ represent for the first time in a
quarter of a century that any Arab country has recognized the Jewish state
diplomatically. Jordan and Egypt signed agreements with Israel in 1994 and
1979, respectively.
The move, which marks a
significant shift in regional geopolitics, should look at embassies in the
countries concerned, as well as flights, tourism and trade links.
Defense ties are
expected to be established’ soon, along with the possible sale of Israeli
fighter jets to Gulf Arab countries.
The agreements
strengthen the regional alliance against Iran. It is the common enemy of both
sides.
The Abraham Accords, as
they are called’ have been described’ by the Trump administration as a
"path to peace" for the region and proof of Mr. Trump's credentials
as a deal maker.
Mr. Trump has predicted
that more Arab countries will soon implement their agreements with Israel.
Speaking from the White
House balcony, he said: "We are here this afternoon to change the course
of history. We will have at least five or six countries coming very soon."
He said another Gulf
state, a close ally of the United States, Saudi Arabia, would sign the
agreement "at the right time."
The three Middle East
leaders praised the deal and Mr. Trump's role in the shining terms, with Mr.
Netanyahu saying it gave hope to "all of Abraham's people".
Photographs of the
signatures and the apparent change in the regional alliance they represent are
sure to be used’ by Mr. Trump and his re-election team.
The Trump
administration had a clear desire to hold today's event before the November
election. As a result, most of the details of the alliance have not yet been’
finalized.
The United Arab
Emirates and then Bahrain agreed to normalize relations and recognize Israel
after the Israeli prime minister promised to suspend plans to annex parts of
the Palestinian West Bank.
The move by the Gulf
Arab states violated a major Arab convention, which stated in the 2002 Arab
Peace Accords that no Arab country would recognize Israel as long as it
occupied the occupied Palestinian territories (Gaza). And do not give up the
West Bank completely and do not allow its establishment. A Palestinian state
with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Palestinian
leadership saw the agreements as fraudulent, and both UAE and Bahraini
officials sought to reassure them that they were not abandoning them or seeking
a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. have been.
Mr. Al-Zayani said:
"Today is truly a historic occasion. It is a moment of hope and
opportunity."
Sheikh Abdullah said:
"We are already witnessing a change in the heart of the Middle East, a
change that will bring hope to the whole world.
"We are witnessing
a new trend today that will pave the way for a better Middle East."
The Israeli military
said that as a sign of ongoing tensions, Palestinian militants fired rockets at
Israel from Gaza during the ceremony, adding that two people were treated’ for
minor injuries.
"This is not
peace, this is surrender in exchange for the continuation of aggression,"
read a tweet posted on the Palestine Liberation Organization's Twitter account.
"There will be no peace before Palestine is liberated."
The administration of
Donald Trump and the Israelis say the agreements mark a turning point and will
force the Palestinians to accept the reality of the situation as it is now.
The Trump peace plan
for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was unveiled in January, envisioning a
future Palestinian state, but is currently on less land than it would otherwise
agree on, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Within hours of the
signing ceremony, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told
reporters in a zoom briefing that the Palestinian issue was still a central
concern.
He said a two-state
solution was still the goal and that his country's decision to normalize
relations with Israel "broke the psychological barrier".
He suggested that Arab
countries now have more to take advantage of against the Israelis on the
Palestinian issue.
READ MORE
