‘Turning Point in History of Israel and Middle East’: Last Preparations Made for Historic Peace Agreements with UAE, Bahrain
15 September, 2020 |
4 years ago
Jerusalem, 15 September, 2020 (TPS) -- Teams at the White House are concluding the last preparations for the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, the first such agreement signed between the Jewish state and an Arab country in 25 years.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday released a clip from Washington in which he is seen holding the “historic draft peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and the historic declaration of peace between Israel and Bahrain.”
“We have worked on this for very many years. This moment arrives tomorrow,” he declared.
“This is a great turning point in the history of Israel and in the history of the Middle East. It will have a great and positive effect on every citizen of Israel. I also promise you, according to what I see here, that additional countries are on the way,” he added.
Announced on August 13, the Abraham Accords is the first between a Gulf state and Israel and is expected to lead to similar agreements with other Arab countries, possibly Oman, Morocco or Saudi Arabia.
Israel and the two Gulf Arab states have committed to begin the exchange of embassies and ambassadors, start direct flights between their countries, and launch cooperation initiatives across a broad range of sectors.
US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani will address the event at the White House, which will include representatives of several Arab countries.
Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to Trump, told the press in Washington that the ceremony “is a culmination of President Trump’s strong leadership and the vision of the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel.”
“These agreements are a huge accomplishment for the countries involved and have led to a tremendous sense of hope and optimism in the region. Instead of focusing on past conflicts, people are now focused on creating a vibrant future filled with endless possibilities,” he said.
In the meantime, officials on both sides did not wait for the signing and have already contacted their counterparts.
Most recently, Israeli Diaspora Minister Omer Yankelevich spoke on Monday evening with Bahraini Jewish Member of Parliament Nancy Khedouri.
“One of the goals I set for myself when I took over as Diaspora Minister was to reach Jewish communities that no one has been in contact with to this day. I did not imagine that I would have the merit to do so with countries that had no ties to the State of Israel,” she said on Facebook.
