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.
[Source: President Trump Twitter 13 August 2020)
President Donald J. Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates spoke today and agreed to the foil normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
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. All three
countries face many common challenges and will mutually benefit from today’s historic achievement.
Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct lights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other areas of mutual benefit. Opening direct tics between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging closer people-to-people relations.
As a result of this diplomatic breakthrough and at the request of President Trump with the support of the United Arab Emirates, 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 United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates arc confident that additional diplomatic breakthroughs with other nations are possible, and will work together to achieve this goal.
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. Working together, these efforts will help save Muslim, Jewish, and Christian lives throughout the region.
This normalization of relations and peaceful diplomacy will bring together two of America’s most reliable and capable regional partners. Israel and the United Arab Emirates will join with the United States to launch a Strategic Agenda for the Middle East to expand diplomatic, trade, and security cooperation. Along with the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates 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 coordination. Today’s agreement will lead to better lives for the peoples of the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and the region.
The United States and Israel recall with gratitude the appearance of the United Arab Emirates at the White House reception held on January 28, 2020, at which President Trump presented his Vision for Peace, and express their appreciation for United Arab Emirates’ related supportive statements. The parties will continue their efforts in this regard to achieve a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As set forth in the Vision for Peace, all Muslims who come in peace may visit and pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque, and Jerusalem’s other holy sites should remain open for peaceful worshippers of all faiths.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan express their deep appreciation to President Trump for his dedication to peace in the region and to the pragmatic and unique approach he has taken to achieve it.
@ Bear Klein:
Bear, you’re being anything but polite; but please drop the matter. I’m here to talk about the peace deal, not to engage your vanity.
Turkey and Iran have been drawn closer together by the Israel-UAE deal
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/international/2020/08/14/iran-turkey-lash-out-at-uae-over-agreement-with-israel/
and any future deals, particularly with US-friendly Gulf states, will draw it even closer.
Turkey has recently actively sided with the Libyan regime in Tripoli, against the Cyrenaica faction supported by France, Russia, Egypt and the UAE.
In Syria, meanwhile, Turkey has been supporting anti-government Sunni rebels,against the Assad government which is backed by Russia and Iran. That situation is rather confused, seeing that Turkey has decided to go with Russia in supplying its air-defense system (over STRONG US objections). Russia has a long-term vested interest in Syria involving its naval facilities there, so its long-term interests there are diametrically opposed to Turkey’s friends in the Muslim Brotherhood and ISIS. The communist Syrian Kurds, also, have aligned with Assad’s regime at the same time that Turkey has been militarily attacking the Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Turkish-Russian conflict in Libya now only exacerbates the conflict.
This Turko-Russian enmity would seem to put Iran in the camp against Turkey; but in fact, Turkey and Iran have been drawing closer to one another. Russia and Syria allowing Israeli airstrikes against Iranian-backed targets in that country have not sweetened Russian-Iranian relations; and the siding of Russia with the anti-Iranian UAE in Libya has not helped either.
Concerning another actor in Libya fighting alongside the Russians, namely Egypt, it has recently come into direct conflict with Turkey over the latter’s violating its sovereignty as well as Greece’s and Cyprus’s, in the natural gas-rich eastern Mediterranean. This has led to an anti-Turkish alliance of Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Israel and even Italy (which supports the pro-Turkish faction in Libya, however).
There are obviously many swing situations here; but a solid alliance, military as well as political, seems to have formed along the following lines:
Side I: UAE, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Cyrenaica vs.
Side II: Turkey, Qatar, Tripoli
With its current antagonism against the UAE and its allies, Iran seems to be moving towards Turkey and “Side II”. That accords very well with the Narrative of Ezekiel 38 in Tanakh.
@ Michael S:
Mostly not interested in your commentary and occasional temper tantrums when someone says something you do not like.
So now I politely asked you not to address some things to me and you come back with a snarky comment. The next thing will probably be the temper tantrum insult?
@ Bear Klein:
Bear, I was not aware that you had no interest in Torah. Sorry.
@ Michael S:
I kindly would appreciate if you do not quote me scripture. I have no interest.
@ Bear Klein:
Scripture time, Bear, concerning the possible next peace partners:
Ezek 38
[13] Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
http://worldhistorymaps.info/images/East-Hem_650bc.jpg
Tarshish is the Tartessians (in present-day Spain) on Thomas Lessman’s map;
Dedan is the land of the Mineans, (in present-day Saudi Arabia) on the same map;
Sheba is Saba, present-day Yemen
The “merchants of Tarshish” would be merchants doing business in those days in the western Mediterranean. Today, these would be the Americans and West Europeans. The UAE is not mentioned in Ezekiel, because Israel did not trade directly with them. The present-day UAE, however, is the paramount military power in southern Yemen and northern Somalia.
In the passage in Ezekiel, none of these “merchant kingdoms” are mentioned as allies of the group attacking Israel. THAT group, if you consult Lessman’s map, consists of countries now in Turkey, Iran, Sudan and Libya. This tells me that when Turkey attacks Israel, countries like Saudi Arabia and the US will be “interested parties” but not combatants.
At present, Turkey has bases in Qatar and Somalia, port rights in Sudan and is becoming deeply involved in Libya. The big piece still missing is Iran If Erdogan and the Ayatollah become allies as a response to the UAE-Israel treaty, that will set the stage to the Ezekiel 38 attack.
UAE has publicly acknowledged that Israel will in the future apply sovereignty. They are hoping it is not in the short term.
They are telling the Pal-Arabs to negotiate from the Trump Deal now before it is too late for any two state solution.
@ Ted Belman: Yes, the sovereignty suspension is cover for the peace deal for UAE, so they can claim a two state solution is still possible. Everyone knows no peace deal is possible with any of current Pal Leadership Groups.
Next deal Ted is Bahrain.
After that in no particular order is Oman and Sudan.
Saudi Arabia is a possibility also. The Prince is a yes I hear but his father the King is perhaps not yet.
To my mind, the main reason for the “suspension” is to give the UAE cover while they sign a peace treaty with Israel. Other than this, the UAE doesn’t care for the Palestinian cause. When the Peace Treaty is signed in a month or two, the suspension will not be mentioned.
Trump said he would host a summit for the signing of the peace accord in around three weeks.
This is a huge achievement for Trump who prioritized getting the Gulf States to deal with Israel right after his inauguration. Rest assured this will be one of the planks in his reelection campaign. This also buries the Arab Peace Initiative. Kudos to Kushner who engineered it. Saudi Arabia is next.
Trump has the uncanny ability to deliver what he sets out to achieve. He is remaking the Middle East as you will see.
By the way, “full normalization” means a warm peace. I suspect that it will signal warmer relations with Egypt. We are entering a new period of cooperation as opposed to the the old “confrontation.
@ Wooly Mammoth:
Read this:
https://www.israpundit.org/are-netanyahu-and-gantz-postponing-sovereignty-intentionally-in-case-trump-is-not-elected/comment-page-1/#comment-63356000224195
Netanyahu (and others) have been quietly enabling Arabs both in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria.
One way or the other, Israel is going to be faced with a loss of Judea and Samaria to the Arabs if those giveaways and permissive laws are not reversed.
This is a worthless piece of paper in exchange for postponing sovereignty (possibly permanently) and letting the Arabs continue building in Area C which is under Israel’s control, if you can believe it.
Now, when Israel wants to take over Judea and Samaria, there will be another stumbling block – the UAE agreement, i.e., proceed with the takeover but at the cost of breaking the “peace” agreement with the UAE which nobody needed that much in the first place!
The agreements with 3rd parties should have nothing to do with Israel’s plans for Judea and Samaria.
This should not have been included in the agreement AT ALL!
Don’t they have decent attorneys skilled in international law?
Was Israel really dying for this (ultimately worthless) agreement to include in it the unconditional (covering the whole territory) postponement of the sovereignty clause?!
I ASSUME it is in the agreement, maybe I am WRONG and it is just a verbal promise or a political maneuver, anyway, but why does it have to be even mentioned here?
@ Adam Dalgliesh:
“On the other hand, the Supremes and the military are unlikely to attempt to veto Israel’s establishment of diplomatic relations with an Arab country.”
You clever lad, you! 🙂
I strongly suspect, that this outcome was intended for some time. Notice the strange expressions on the US and Israeli leaders in September, 2017:
https://i2.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/trump-netanyahu.jpg?w=780&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1
That said, I am pleasantly surprized at today’s announcement.
@ Reader:
Israel, from what I understand, has given up nothing.
Netanyahu has clearly stated sovereignty remains ‘on the table’.
Israel is the winner as is our close friend now The United Arab Emirates.
The leaders of UAE, Israel and The POTUS deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, assuming it all works.
Judea and Samaria is and will always be a part of Israel.
Begin envisioned autonomy rather than an actual state. If you study Netanyahu and Israel’s published conditions for a ‘Pal State’, this is, again; autonomy, that is the best they will ever get despite what they may demand with the media milk toast endlessly repeating over and over; with funds provided by Soros, no doubt.(A disgusting sick person)
What is in the actual agreement?
Did they give up Judea and Samaria for an Arab “gesture” which the Arabs can rescind at any time (also, no one promised not to finance the terrorists, I suspect) calling it a “suspension” for the public who is happy to be fooled again?
They are buying time for the “Palestinians” to keep creating “facts on the ground” with their illegal building financed by the EU.
Jared Kusher has come out and said sovereignty is only delayed until the appropriate time.
We all know something temporary has the danger of becoming permanent.
So Israel needs new leadership! Bennett would apply sovereignty!
Quick Analysis of Israel – UAE PEACE DEAL
Winners:
Bibi proves you do NOT need peace w/ Pals to have normalization with Arabs. Other deals (2) likely to follow.
Trump facilitates deal with Gulf Arabs proving he can do it.
UAE – Wants to do more business with Israel, especially for medical equipment and knowledge such as Covid vaccine Israel is working on.
UAE & Israel combat Iran together. Israeli likely will sell UAE more weapons than they already have.
Losers:
Palestinian people they get nothing because their leadership is stuck in trying facilitate the illusion that they will get rid of Israel.
Pal Leadership are again exposed as useless and stuck in the past of rejection of Israel.
Bibi’ base will not like this for what he is not doing at the moment giving up application of sovereignty. Center and Left in Israel like this deal but they will not vote for Bibi.
On the whole, a positive development. I never thought a formal declaration of sovereignty was of much value unless it could be enforced. But the Supreme Court and the military, which has long been obedient to Supreme Court decrees, will never allow overeignty to be applied to the administered territories
On the other hand, the Supremes and the military are unlikely to attempt to veto Israel’s establishment of diplomatic relations with an Arab country. And every such recognition increases Israel’s international legitimacy and makes it more difficult for foreign countires, including th EU, to punish Israel for fabricated violations of international law and human rights.