Israel’s Knesset today agreed to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates after a marathon debate that lasted more than eight hours.
A total of 80 Knesset members supported the U.S.-coordinated normalization agreement, while 13 members of the Joint Arab List (JAL) opposed it.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “This historic agreement…will bring us closer to other countries in the region, and allow us to sign other peace agreements with each other.
Netanyahu also said that Israel had recently made its first contact with another country in the region, but he did not specify which one.
The United Arab Grand Duchy in August became the next Arab country to establish relations with Israel, following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Bahrain followed suit.
The U.A.E.A.’s agreement with Israel was formalized at the White House on Sept. 15. The Palestinians denounced the Arab League agreement as a “betrayal” and a break with years of Arab League policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The U.S. government is trying to coordinate a similar agreement with other Arab states.
Recent Comments