Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to full normalisation of relations in a phone call with US President Donald Trump on August 13, marking the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country in 25 years.
Israel agreed to suspend its planned extension of sovereignty to facilitate relations with the UAE and potentially other Arab and Muslim countries, according to a statement posted to Trump’s Twitter account.
The announcement said that delegations from Israel and the UAE will meet in the coming weeks, “to sign bilateral agreements 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,” Trump said.
Trump also called the diplomatic breakthrough a “labor of love for a lot of people in the room,” speaking to how it is also an achievement for Special Adviser to the President Jared Kushner, who heads the Middle East peace team, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz, who worked behind the scenes in recent months to promote normalization between Israel and the Arab world.
The US president also mentioned Iran, about which the UAE and other Gulf States share concerns with Israel, saying that he will make a deal with them “within 30 days” if he wins the election. Trump said the Iranians are “dying to make a deal,” but would prefer that it be with the Democratic candidate for president, Joe Biden, “because that would be like a dream” for them.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said “the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE will make Israel stronger and safer and will likely lead to additional exciting opportunities and incremental prosperity for Israel, its neighbors and the entire region.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, emphasised the suspension of sovereignty plans over normalisation. He tweeted that “an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories. The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship.”
Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah a-Sisi similarly called it “the agreement to stop Israel’s annexation of the Palestinian Territories and taking steps to bring Peace to the Middle East.” He said in a tweet that he “values the efforts…in order to achieve prosperity and stability for our region.”
Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem and Washington, however, said that the extension of Israeli law to the settlements had only been temporarily put aside.
