From the BBC:
“Israel and UAE strike
historic deal to normalise relations”
Israel and the United Arab
Emirates have agreed to normalise relations, US President Donald Trump has
announced. A joint statement by Mr Trump, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu
Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Al Nahyan said they hoped the "historic
breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East". As a result, they
added, Israel would suspend its controversial plans to annex parts of the
occupied West Bank. Until now Israel has had no diplomatic relations with Gulf
Arab countries. However, shared concerns over Iran's regional influence have
led to unofficial contacts between them. In response to President Trump's
announcement, Mr Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew: "Historic day." In a TV
address Mr Netanyahu said he had "delayed" West Bank annexation
plans, but those plans remain "on the table". Annexation would make
some West Bank areas officially part of Israel. "There is no change in my
plan to apply our sovereignty to Judea and Samaria (West Bank) in full
coordination with the United States. I am committed to it. That has not
changed. I remind you that I was the one who put the issue of sovereignty over
Judea and Samaria on the table. This issue remains on the table." He said
Israel would co-operate with the UAE in developing a coronavirus vaccine, in
energy, water, environmental protection and many other fields.
It marks only the third
Israel-Arab peace deal since Israel's declaration of independence in 1948.
Egypt signed one in 1979, and Jordan in 1994. Mauritania also established
diplomatic ties with Israel in 1999, but froze the deal in 2009. The UAE's
ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, said the deal with Israel was "a
win for diplomacy and for the region". "It is a significant advance
in Arab-Israeli relations that lowers tensions and creates new energy for
positive change," he added. But a senior Palestinian official, Hanan
Ashrawi, condemned the deal, saying the UAE had "come out in the open on
its secret dealings/normalisation with Israel" and telling Prince
Mohammed: "May you never be sold out by your 'friends'." Senior Trump
adviser Jared Kushner said he did not think Israel would move ahead with any
annexation before discussing it first with the US, Reuters reported. He said he
expected to see interactions "very quickly" between Israel and the
UAE, and the US would resume discussions with several other countries about a
possible deal concerning Israel.
What has been agreed? In the coming weeks delegations from Israel
and the UAE will meet to sign bilateral deals regarding investment, tourism,
direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare,
culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other
areas of mutual benefit. "Opening direct ties between two of the Middle
East's most dynamic societies and advanced economies will transform the region
by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging
closer people-to-people relations," the joint statement says. Israel will
also "suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined" in President
Trump's Vision for Peace between Israel and the Palestinians, in which he
backed an Israeli plan to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the
strategic Jordan Valley. The Palestinians have warned that such a move would
destroy their hopes of a viable future independent state and violate
international law - a stance supported by much of the international community. The
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, said the UAE's
recognition of Israel was "a very bold step" to stop the
"ticking time bomb" of Israel's annexation of the West Bank. The UAE,
he said, sees this as "a stoppage of the annexation, not a
suspension" .Asked about Palestinian criticism of the UAE move, he
recognised that the region was very polarised and he expected to hear "the
usual noise". "We agonised over this," he said, but eventually
decided "let's do it". The joint statement says Israel will
"focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab
and Muslim world", and that the US and UAE will work to achieve that goal.
The UAE and Israel will also join the US to launch a "Strategic Agenda for
the Middle East", with the three leaders noting that they "share a
similar outlook regarding the threats and opportunities in the region, as well
as a shared commitment to promoting stability through diplomatic engagement,
increased economic integration, and closer security co-ordination".
A significant step - but
questions remain The establishment
of full diplomatic relations; the exchange of embassies; and normal trade ties
between Israel and the UAE is a significant diplomatic step forward. But
inevitably it raises questions. Will the full promise of this agreement be
realised? And might other Gulf countries follow a similar path? It is also
important to see what it is not. This is far from the comprehensive peace plan to
resolve the Palestinian question that President Trump has long promoted.
However, there are short-term benefits for all sides. The White House was first
off the mark in announcing the deal; it is perhaps a small diplomatic feather
in President Trump's cap at a time when his re-election prospects are looking
more difficult. For Israel's embattled Prime Minister Netanyahu, it gets him
off a hook of his own making; his much-vaunted promise to annex key parts of
the occupied West Bank. This has proved undeliverable, not least due to US
ambivalence and significant international opposition. Mr Netanyahu may see this
"peace initiative" with the UAE as something that could bolster his
chances if he precipitates a further Israeli general election. For the UAE, it
is harder to say precisely what the immediate benefits are, though its
relations with Washington will be strengthened and the deal with Israel may
yield significant economic, security and scientific benefits. Overall this is
an agreement that potentially could offer both more and less than might first
appear. And as far as the Palestinians are concerned, it is hard to see this
news creating anything other than frustration, that they have once again been
pushed to the sidelines.
How have others reacted? UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "it
was my profound hope that annexation did not go ahead in the West Bank and
today's agreement to suspend those plans is a welcome step on the road to a
more peaceful Middle East". UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was
time for "direct talks between the Palestinians and Israel, which is the
only way to reach a two-state solution and a lasting peace". However
Iran's Tasnim news agency, linked to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards, called
the accord "shameful".
^ This is great news! I really
hope that Israel and the United Arab Emirates can agree on all the different
areas that have to be finalized so that the two countries can be at peace with
each other. Hopefully, this will show other Arab countries to stop seeing
Israel as the enemy that has to be destroyed and to work for peace. ^
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