Israel and United Arab Emirates Reach Historic Peace Agreement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed agreed to the “full normalization of relations” between Israel and the UAE, on Thursday.
As part of the agreement, Israel will “suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.”
The two sides will also continue to work to “achieve a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
The leaders announced the historic peace deal in a joint statement. The “diplomatic breakthrough” came after the “request of President Trump.” President Trumps son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner was instrumental to brokering the agreement.
The statement reads: “This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region,”
The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven states—Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, and Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah—and the first country in the Persian Gulf to open diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt and Jordan are the only to other Arab countries to have normalized ties previously.
Photo by The White House/Flickr
Earlier this summer, leaders from Israel and the UAE announced they would cooperate in the fight against the COVID-19, which may have lead the groundwork for this larger deal. The joint statement solidified this cooperation, saying: “The United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus.”