Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today announced a historic peace deal that will lead to a full normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two nations, in an agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker.
The agreement, reported to be known as the Abraham Accords, is the first of its kind since Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994. It marks the first time Israel has established diplomatic ties with a Gulf state.
Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend applying sovereignty to areas of the West Bank that it has been discussing annexing.
The agreement was sealed in a phone call today between President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
White House officials said that the peace deal is the product of extensive discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently.
A joint statement issued by the three countries today said the three leaders had “agreed to the full normalisation of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates”.
The statement said: “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”.
It added that 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 of the West Bank.
Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications and other issues, the statement said.
The agreement envisions giving Muslims greater access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem by allowing them to fly from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv, White House officials said.
The two countries are expected soon to exchange ambassadors and embassies.
Read the full statement here:
