Israel and UAE, the two countries that had been at loggerheads with each other, reached an understanding and announced an agreement that will lead to ‘full normalization’ of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
This deal brokered by US President Donald Trump is seen as one of the biggest foreign policy victories of the Trump administration and comes just before a few months left for the US Presidential elections.
As per the agreement, Israel has agreed to stop applying its sovereignty over areas of the West Bank region. The UAE will also officially recognize Israel as a state. With this, UAE becomes the first Arab country to announce a formal bond with Israel. Israel has diplomatic relations with Egypt and Jordan after it signed peace treaties with both the countries in 1979 and 1994 respectively.
The agreement was sealed over a phone call between US President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed.
Here is how some of the countries of the world reacted:
Israel:
Prime Minister Netanyahu hailed the deal and called it the beginning of a new era.
USA:
President Trump tweeted that it was a ‘huge breakthrough’ with the ‘historic peace agreement ‘signed between US’s ‘two great friends’ – Israel and United Arab Emirates. Trump said that he expected more Arab and Muslim countries to follow UAE now that the ice has been broken.
UAE:
UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs declared it as a bold step in securing the 2 nation solution for Israel and Palestine.
Iran:
The country’s news agency called the deal as ‘shameful’. Iran’s leaders are yet to react.
Hamas:
The Sunni Islamic fundamentalist and militant organization rejected the deal saying that it did not serve the cause of the Palestinians but of the Zionist narrative.
UK:
UK welcomed the agreement reached between the two countries.
“It was my profound hope that annexation did not go ahead in the West Bank and today’s agreement to suspend those plans is a welcome step on the road to a more peaceful Middle East.”, PM Boris Johnson said.
France:
France called it a positive step and welcomed Israel’s decision to suspend annexation of areas of West Bank. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the suspension must become a ‘definitive measure’. He said that the accord paved way for resumption of talks and called it as the ‘only option’ to achieve peace in the region.