Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have signed historic diplomatic normalisation deals with Israel at a ceremony at the White House.
In an event overseen by President Donald Trump, the Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain’s foreign minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayan signed the accords with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The agreements, details of which are still being negotiated, represent the first time in a quarter of a century that any Arab country has given diplomatic recognition to the Jewish State. Jordan and Egypt signed deals with Israel in 1994 and 1979 respectively.
The moves, which signal a significant shift in regional geopolitics, should see the opening of embassies in the respective countries, as well as flights, tourism and trade links.
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Defence ties are also expected to be put in place quickly, with the possible sale of Israeli fighter jets to the Gulf Arab nations.
The deals strengthen the regional alliance against Iran – a common enemy for both sides.
The Abraham Accords, as they have been named, are framed by the Trump administration as a “pathway to peace” for the region and proof of Mr Trump’s credentials as a deal maker.
Mr. Trump predicted more Arab nations would soon follow suit in making their own agreements with Israel.
Speaking from the White House balcony, he said: “We’re here this afternoon to change the course of history. We’ll have at least five or six countries coming along very quickly.”
Another Gulf State, the US’s close ally, Saudi Arabia, would sign a deal “at the right time,” he said.
All three of the Middle East leaders hailed the agreements and Mr. Trump’s role in glowing terms, with Mr. Netanyahu saying it gave hope to “all the people of Abraham.”
The images of the signings and the apparent shift in regional alliances they represent are sure to be used by Mr. Trump and his re-election team.
There was a clear desire by the Trump administration to conduct today’s ceremony before November’s election. As a consequence, much of the details of the alliances have yet to be finalised. (msn)